


Seeking an Accord

by callasyndra



Series: Another Time, Another Place [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa
Genre: Elricest, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, learning to live together, souls bound alchemically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-04-23 12:09:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4876270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callasyndra/pseuds/callasyndra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Elric brothers have been released from the hospital after their trip back to Amestris through the Gate.  Roy Mustang has offered his home to them and they're all three learning what exactly that means.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the tags, although if you're this far along in the series, you probably know what you're in for.

          The first week Roy Mustang brought the Elric brothers home with him made him question whether this had any chance of working.  And every time he thought this, he told himself his new mantra.  _Baby steps.  We all need to adjust and give this some time._ It didn’t help that people were in and out of the house that entire first week.  The Elric brothers had touched many people during their years of service to Amestris and so many people proceeded in and out of Roy’s door - he felt as if he would begin lighting fires to get those very people out of his house.

          He also hadn’t expected that all three of them would have vicious nightmares.  The first night Alphonse had insisted on sleeping in his own room to try and give his brother and Roy some space.  Well intentioned as that was Edward had a difficult time settling down to sleep even with Roy’s familiar scent next to him.  Roy had decided almost as soon as the brothers arrived safely on this side of the Gate that intimacy was going to wait until all parties were settled and comfortable.  At the current rate that was going to take a very long time.

          Roy was woken by Edward screaming beside him and Alphonse running into the room moments later.  “Brother, you’re safe.  We’re here with you, please open your eyes.  Listen to my voice,” the younger Elric then turned to hiss at Roy “ **say** something so he can hear you.”

          Roy immediately began to murmur quietly in the same sort of way Alphonse was.  He noticed the younger Elric was holding his brother’s flesh hand and with a quick glance at Alphonse laid his own hand against Edward’s hip and began rubbing soothing circles.  Edward stopped struggling as much once they were touching him and soon opened his eyes. 

          The two brothers locked eyes immediately while Edward tried to slow his breathing.  “Al?” he whispered then turned to look at Roy when Alphonse shifted his eyes slightly.  “Oh thank fuck we made it.  We were stuck in the Gate and that fucker was taking you apart again…” his voice trailed off as it finally clicked that Roy and Al were looking at him with growing relief.

          “Well this isn’t at all awkward,” Al laughed ruefully as Roy raised a hand to play with Ed’s hair.  Roy smiled in turn and admitted “I’d be lying if I said Edward hasn’t woken me from nightmares.  Do you have them as well?”

          “Yes.” Alphonse said simply.  He drew in a deep breath and smiled gently at his brother and his brother’s lover.  “I’ll be going back now Brother.  Roy can keep you from the nightmares just as well as I can.”

          Ed failed to hide the involuntary noise that came out at the thought of Al leaving.  Roy thoughtfully looked to the younger of the two before asking “How did the two of you handle the nightmares on the other side of the Gate?”

          Al reminded himself Roy already knew he and Ed were intimate, but it still took a moment before he could answer.  “In the beginning we just pulled our beds close together, but we found it was much easier to just sleep in the same bed.  We were able to calm each other down much more quickly that way,” he ended on a mumble.

          “Ah.  Well yes I can see how that would be more effective.  Edward would you like Alphonse to stay here with us tonight?”

          The look on his face very much said that yes, he wanted Alphonse to stay, but he didn’t want to upset Roy by saying so.  Alphonse tried to head off the idea, but Roy was exhausted and tired of seeing both of the brothers so anxious.  “Why don’t we try it for tonight and see how we all sleep?  The bed is more than big enough and I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m exhausted.”

          Edward relaxed against him as Alphonse’s uncertain gaze met his.  _Are you sure about this_ those bronze eyes seemed to be asking.  Roy shrugged back in answer.  After receiving a small smile Al murmured something about retrieving his pillow.

          Edward turned his head into Roy’s chest while said pillow was being retrieved.  “Are you really okay with this?”

          “I have no idea what I’m okay with Edward.  But the three of us need sleep and apparently that means we’ll be sharing bed space for the time being.  We’ll work the rest out as it happens.”

          Ed nodded against his chest as Al came back in and turned off the overhead light.  Hesitantly he moved into the bed behind his brother while Roy scooted himself and Ed further over to make room.  Once all three were situated comfortably Ed heaved a sigh and fell immediately asleep.  The two remaining denizens of the bed regarded each other over golden hair until Roy murmured “Go to sleep Alphonse.  We’ll figure it out later.” Tired bronze eyes blinked in acknowledgement before closing.  Roy slowly relaxed after Alphonse had fallen asleep and allowed himself the same.

* * *

 

          Alphonse woke before the others and gave himself a moment to just look at the other two.  Roy’s looks had always drawn people in by themselves, but next to Ed the two practically glowed.  They were beautiful together and Al just hoped the new connection he had with Ed wouldn’t cause any issues for Roy and Ed.  Slowly he moved himself backwards off the bed and out of the room.  Once that had been accomplished Al visited the bathroom to empty his bladder.  Apparently the trip through the Gate had decreased his usual hormonal issues which he had no problems with.

          Al quietly made his way downstairs and briefly wondered if Roy would mind him making the two of them breakfast.  The older man had basically said to make themselves at home, so he began to slowly explore the kitchen to see what was available.  By the time Al heard steps on the stairs he’d already started coffee and was making his way through cooking bacon and eggs. 

          Roy raised impressed eyebrows when he saw Alphonse was far ahead of him with breakfast preparations.  Al smiled nervously then turned to start some toast.  “Did you sleep well Roy?  I mean, after Brother went back to sleep?”

          Roy pulled his robe tighter around himself and walked over to lean against some of the counter space Alphonse wasn’t currently occupying.  “I slept surprisingly well, thank you.  And you, Alphonse?”

          After another nervous look at the older man over his shoulder Al turned back to the eggs he was scrambling.  “I slept better than I expected to.”

          Roy turned to get coffee mugs down for the three of them, then gathered sugar and creamer.  “I know you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable and it would really help me if you could tell me what might make that better for you Alphonse.  This is your home now, not just Edward’s.  You shouldn’t feel as if you’re walking on eggshells here.”

          Al shook his head slightly before turning to give Roy his full attention.  “I just don’t want to get in the way.  It’s one thing for you to know what happened on the other side of the Gate and another for you to accept it.  Brother and I knew things would be different here, and I really want the two of you to have time to get to know each other again.  So I just need to find some way to occupy myself while that happens.”

          “While at the same time keeping the necessary contact between yourself and Edward.  I’ll admit there will be some awkwardness until we’ve all adjusted, but you’re not going to make yourself sick on my account Alphonse.  I think we should keep the same sleeping arrangements we had after Edward’s nightmare for the time being.  After some time we’ll see about perhaps using the second bedroom, but for now the two of you need to be in close contact with each other.”

          Al felt his shoulders get tense before he turned back to the food he was preparing.  “I still want to give you some time to yourselves.”

          Roy let out a small breath and left off with the coffee makings.  He slowly walked over to Alphonse and laid a hand on his shoulder.  Bronze eyes met his in surprise before the younger man could school his expression.  “Thank you for caring so much for both of us.  There will come a time when having time to ourselves will be appreciated, but for now Edward needs to have both of us.  I think he’s terrified one of us is going to disappear and we need to help him get over that before we do anything else.”

          The younger man’s face shifted slightly as he processed this.  Finally he nodded in agreement.  “But once this adjustment period is over I think it might be best for all of us to have a schedule of sorts.  It’ll drive Brother crazy, but I think it might help both of us.  And I do want all of us to be happy, Roy.  Right now I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” he finished quietly.

          “I think as long as we allot ourselves the ability to take small steps we’ll be doing the best we can.  And making breakfast is always a good step,” Roy pronounced with a smile.  “Now, how do you like your coffee?”

          “Actually I prefer tea,” Al smiled slightly.  “Brother never understood that, but I do like coffee with lots of milk and sugar if there’s no tea available.  France wasn’t the best place to get tea,” Al finished with a grimace.

          “You know, I think the three of us should go to the store,” Roy murmured thoughtfully.  “I have no idea what either of you like to eat.”

          “In Brother’s case anything edible usually works, but I think you’re right.  Shopping for food may add some normalcy to our lives, and right now we’re very much in need of that.”

          The thud of two different feet was hear on the stair case with golden hair appearing shortly afterward.  “Is that coffee?” the owner of the golden hair mumbled sleepily.

          Roy and Alphonse blinked then grinned at each other as they realized they now had an ally in dealing with Edward first thing in the morning.  The Fullmetal Alchemist had never been a morning person and so the two most important people in his life began the arduous process of convincing him morning was not the vilest thing ever.

* * *

 

          The market proved both an illuminating and normalizing experience.  Ed vehemently protested the inclusion of milk, greens, and squash while grabbing as many different types of bread as possible.  Al patiently admonished his brother on the need for milk and some greens while agreeing with the exclusion of squash after consulting with Roy.  Al gathered several types of tea for himself, which Roy noticed with amusement Ed scowled at.  For the most part Roy was content to follow behind the brothers and observe their bickering over what to get while feeling the tension leave his shoulders. 

          Alphonse being the more observant of the two noticed the more relaxed air around the older man and sent an understanding smile in his direction.  Something as easy as this was essential right now.  And they really did need to figure out what kinds of food they all liked. 

          Roy paused before the meat selection and Ed stopped still.  A strange expression crossed his face before he opened his mouth.  Roy realized what this was about moments after Al, but hearing the siblings talk about their late Teacher made him realize yet again just how extraordinary this moment was.  Izumi Curtis had studied alchemy for a much longer time than either of the Elrics, but she had been unable to avoid an untimely death via the Gate’s machinations.

          Roy smoothly moved behind the brothers and draped an arm over each shoulder.  “Mrs. Curtis would have been so proud of you both for coming home.  At some point you’re going to have to let me know just how you managed to do that,” he added with a roguish smile.

          Ed and Al blinked at each other.  Ed scowled as he realized he’d have to admit requiring the help of a goddess.  Al couldn’t help the laugh as he correctly read his sibling’s face and interpreted the reason behind the scowl.  “Brother met an actual goddess, Roy.  Well two gods, actually.  It was rather difficult for him to admit that gods really do exist, but we wouldn’t have been able to travel back through the Gate without their help.  I wonder if there are any mythology texts here in Amestris that cover them,” he mused.

          Looking over the rather large amount of food stuffs the three of them had gathered Roy murmured “I’d love to hear all about it when we get back to the house.  Is there anything else either of you would like before we leave?”

          The brothers both glanced into the cart and shook their heads no.  Roy was extremely grateful for the money he’d begun placing into savings after the first time Al had contacted him.  It was going to be much more expensive to feed the three of them than it was to care for his needs only.  Bemused, Roy led the two, who had predictably found some other topic to bicker about, towards the cashier to pay for their goods. 

          The drive home was uneventful until the house came into sight.  At the sight of a large man in civilian clothes with prerequisite sparkles sitting on the front steps Ed immediately began trying to climb out the back window.  Roy sighed inwardly as Al clamped onto his sibling’s arm.  “Brother you knew we’d be seeing Mr. Armstrong again sometime soon.  I seriously doubt Roy would let him hug either of us to death, so it’ll be fine.  Brother **stop** trying to go through the window!”

          It was impossible to stop the laughter and relief at such a normal Ed reaction.  Roy pulled the car to a stop and reminded himself to take things one step at a time before turning the key to shut off the engine.  “Hello Alex, it’s so nice to see you,” the General said warmly as a voice squawked indignantly in the back of the car.

          “I wouldn’t have had to hit you Brother if you’d just sit still.  Honestly he’s not going to hurt you!”

          “But he will, Al…he’ll hurt us with all the love going back through generations of overbearing Armstrong hugs,” Ed mumbled back.

* * *

 

          After the obligatory visit with Alex Louis Armstrong, Roy suggested another drive into town so the Elrics could access their bank account.  Blank stares met the suggestion as neither of them had given any thought to finances yet.  Roy smiled before explaining he’d had all of Edward’s military funds transferred into a trust fund for Alphonse.  Now that Edward was back there was no need for Alphonse to reach the age of 18 to access the funds.

          “Wait a minute.  How long did the military pay me before cutting it off?” Ed questioned suspiciously.

          “Surprisingly enough they paid into your account for eighteen months after your disappearance.  When you consider the amount you had before you left, the additional funds, and all the interest it’s been gathering the two of you have quite a bit of income at the moment.  And it might be a good idea to get some more clothing for the both of you with some of it.”

          Al pursed his lips thoughtfully.  “That’s a good idea.  The clothes Maria and Hawkeye got us aren’t going to be enough Brother.”

          Ed had a positively wicked look on his face when he turned to Roy.  “You’re gonna let me drive the car, right?”

          Al almost fell over laughing at the horrified look on Roy’s face.  “Brother learned how to drive on the other side of the Gate, but I can understand why you wouldn’t want him touching your car Roy.  It’s very nice and Ed tends to drive recklessly most of the time.”

          Ed pouted a bit at that.  “I do not!  I drive very carefully when I want to.”

          Roy rubbed the back of his neck during this exchange.  “When you’re a bit more comfortable with the city’s layout we’ll take turns driving, Edward.  For now why don’t you let me take care of it so you can learn where everything is located,” he suggested smoothly.  “And we can grab something for dinner while we’re out.”

          At the mention of food Ed predictably perked up.  “Yeah okay.  But I’m riding in the front this time.”

          Roy and Alphonse shared an amused look as they both thought what Edward wouldn’t say out loud – he wouldn’t admit he had trouble seeing over the front seats when he was in the back.

* * *

 

          When the ever present dreams of Ishval seized Roy that night he found two very similar sets of eyes worrying over him as he awoke.  Ed was practically laying on top of him while Al had his wrist trapped.  “It’s a good thing you never wear your gloves to bed,” Ed spoke quietly while rubbing the back of Roy’s neck with his flesh hand.

          Once they were sure Roy was awake and with them again Al let go of his wrist.  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” The younger man asked quietly.

          Roy took another breath to help calm himself down before shaking his head.  “No Alphonse you didn’t.  I’ve dealt with these damn dreams so long I forgot what it’s like to have someone else here to wake me from them.”  Silently he held out the hand Al had been restraining for the younger brother. 

          Dubiously Al moved a bit closer, but it was clear he didn’t know what Roy wanted him to do.  Ed made an irritated noise and pushed Al closer.  “For fucks sake, Al.  Give the man a hug or something.  You’re good at that shit.”

          Hesitantly Alphonse leaned into Roy’s space and gave him a hug.  Roy gradually relaxed between the two of them until he felt like he might be able to sleep again.  Al made to go back to the other side of the bed when Roy’s arm tightened around him.   
          Drowsily the older man murmured “You can stay here if you’d like Alphonse.”

          Startled bronze eyes flew up to meet the dark blue one.  Briefly Al looked over at his brother who was already relaxing into Roy’s other side before he, too began to relax.

          It didn’t take long for the three of them to fall into a peaceful sleep.  When Roy woke between the two brothers in the morning he lay quietly for a moment just savoring the feeling.  He wasn’t entirely sure what the feeling was yet, but it was beginning to feel like home.

 

 

Because of the very underage nature of this series I looked up what the age of consent was in different countries.  Finding out the age of consent in Japan was thirteen explains so very much about some of the behavior in some of the animes.  Here's the link if anyone cares to take a look:

<http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/what-age-consent-around-world-2802173>


	2. Chapter 2

          Al woke up to find Roy already out of bed and working in the kitchen from the smells drifting in through the cracked doorway.  Predictably Ed was snoring softly and starfished across the bed with Roy having moved out of the way.  Al snorted a quiet laugh at his brother’s sleeping methods, then decided to take advantage of the fact that Ed was still sleeping.  He was also extremely grateful for his body’s current lack of sexual interest.  The trip through the Gate had essentially the same effect as getting sick, but Al wasn’t sure how much longer the reprieve would last.

          Quietly getting out of bed Al walked down the hallway to his own room and grabbed the slippers and robe he’d bought.  He’d learned to love the feeling of something warm against his skin first thing in the morning and had made sure to purchase the comforting items along with their other clothing.  Ironically some of Ed’s new things were here in his room and some were in Roy’s room simply because of storage issues. 

          Al made his way down the stairs and around the hallway into the kitchen to see Roy pulling something warm and flaky looking out of the oven.  Roy smiled upon seeing the younger man entering the doorway.  “Hello Alphonse, would you like some tea?  I heated water, but wasn’t sure which type of tea you’d like.”

          Al thoughtfully picked up the mug Roy had left out for him and walked over to get his tea of choice.  “You’re being awfully accommodating about all this,” Al said quietly.

          Roy’s face sobered somewhat before he said “This is your home, too Alphonse.  I thought we’d agreed before you crossed over that the goal was for all of us to find common ground living together.  And I am happy to have you here, just in case you were wondering,” he added gently.

          Al’s face was pensive as he took his steeping tea mug back to the kitchen table.  “I know what we said and yes, that is what I want, but…I just can’t help feeling I’m in the way.  And I don’t want to be.  I want you and Brother to have lots of time together to make up for the time you’ve lost, but I’m afraid that shortly my body will…” Al looked away uncomfortably before clearing his throat.  “Well we both know what’s going to happen eventually.  I just need to know that you’re not going to turn Brother away.”

          Roy regarded the young man who wasn’t as young as he appeared with some concern.  “Alphonse.  I’m not going to turn **either** of you away.  I’m well aware of the fact that you and Edward are sexually intimate.  It took some time to come to terms with, but I’ve accepted it.  And I’m willing to protect you both just as I always have.  But it seems as if you’re having trouble accepting it now that you’re back on this side of the Gate.”

          Al pulled the tea bag out of his mug and placed it on a nearby napkin.  “I’m having problems because I truly hoped once we were back here the feelings would fade.  But I can already tell that’s not going to happen.”  Bronze eyes met Roy’s with more than a bit of determination.  “I won’t be the thing that comes between you and Brother, Roy.  If you need time to yourselves just tell me when Ed’s not around and I’ll make it happen.  Or we could just come up with a pre-emptive schedule to accommodate that.”

          Roy sipped his coffee thoughtfully as he sat in another of the chairs.  “I think a schedule might be helpful for you, and possibly even for me, but if your brother finds out we’ve got him on a ‘spending time schedule’ he’s not going to react well.”  Roy glanced over to judge how the topic was affecting Alphonse.  He was gratified to see the younger man’s body was slowly losing its tension.

          “So we make a schedule, perhaps even a rotating one, and don’t tell Brother about it.  It should make sure the two of you have the time you need to get to know each other again,” Al said purposefully.

          “I doubt very seriously we could pull that off without Edward figuring it out for any more than two weeks, but by all means put one together.  It might make you feel better, but Alphonse I’ll warn you I won’t agree to it if there is no time for the two of you to be alone as well.  Having your souls bound the way they are is going to keep pulling at you both, and I won’t have you making yourself sick or exhausted by your morals.”  Roy took another sip of his excellent coffee (he should go shopping more often) before setting his mug down.  He placed his elbows on the table and his hands laced together in front of his face in what he knew Alphonse would recognize as his no-nonsense sitting stance.

          Al smiled slightly as the familiar posture.  “Very well.  I’ll come up with something and run it by you.  On an entirely different note, Maria said something about college programs when we were still in the hospital.  Do you have any idea what she was talking about?”

          Roy gave one more assessing glance before dropping his posture and reaching for his mug with a genuine smile.  “Yes I do.  How would you like to look over a couple of colleges which feature degrees in alchemy?  I’ve found a couple of positions for myself which correspond to these schools and as soon as you and Edward decide on which one you’d rather be at I’ll put in my transfer orders.”

          Al blinked a couple of times.  “I’d forgotten about that.  Are you sure you still want to move?  You have so much invested here.”

          Roy shook his head with a smile.  “No, Alphonse.  I’ve merely been drifting since the two of you left.  I’ve no interest in running this country anymore.  We changed the government, but I lost both you and Edward in the process.”  Al began to interrupt with a frown, but Roy held up a finger to silence him.  “I lost you Alphonse, because you lost your memories until you crossed over.  Even though you would come to me for stories of your brother, you didn’t remember me.  And now that you’re both back and whole I’d like to spend as much time as possible with both of you.”

          Al smiled genuinely at that.  He placed both of his hands on the tea mug to warm them before sipping happily.  “If you’re absolutely sure I’d love to look over the information on the schools.”

          Roy had risen to gather said information when a sleepy Ed shuffled into the kitchen.  “Coffee?” he mumbled while rubbing at his eyes.

          Roy and Al both grinned.  Ed at least was predictably easy to deal with in the mornings.

* * *

 

          Once Edward had become a functioning human Alphonse grabbed the college information and hurried upstairs to get dressed.  He had plans to spend a few hours at the closest library looking over the schools and programs offered.  While grateful for the information Roy had provided, Al knew there was much more knowledge to be had and while he was away researching Ed and Roy could spend time together.

          Of course watching his brother’s face fall at the idea of Al going somewhere that didn’t include Ed put a bit of a crimp in that easy plan.  Roy stepped in suavely to point out the programs Al would be looking at were different than the positions Ed would be looking for.  Al threw a grateful glance Roy’s way before practically skipping out the door.

          Ed turned a baffled face Roy’s way.  “What just happened?  Did he really just run out of the house to get away from me?”

          Roy turned a rueful face toward this man who meant so much to him.  “I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that, love.  Alphonse appears to be rather upset that the soul bond between the two of you hasn’t lessened.  And I think he’s feeling a bit lost as well.  He simply doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

          Ed sat blankly for a moment, before scowling.  “Dammit he promised he wasn’t gonna do that shit.  We agreed he was gonna take time for himself when he needed it.”

          Roy contemplated this for a moment before letting out a sigh.  “Edward your brother is a genius, but his body is still relatively new and I would imagine he’s feeling very vulnerable right now.  When he was armor he always had perfect control over his body and now he has very little if any control over his sexual urges.  And we’re asking him to add another member to his household.  It’s quite a bit for any one person to be dealing with.”

          Ed sat back down on the kitchen chair he’d recently vacated.  “Shit.  I’m fucking this all up.  Was so focused on getting us back here after he got so sick that I never really worked out how things were gonna go after we got here.”  He glanced over as Roy took the seat next to him.  “Alright you’ve got an idea, so let’s hear it.”

          Roy pulled the plate of scones toward himself and took one.  As he added some butter to the pastry Roy said “I think we need to give him enough space to find his way, but not enough to sink himself.  After the initial shock of being told of your intimacy I looked into as much alchemic theory as I could get my hands on.  Most of it was theoretical, but I ran into one account of an alchemist who had fused the souls of two adolescent boys together.  The alchemist was of course put to death, but the two boys had become sexually active and couldn’t be physically separated or they would both get violently ill.  Eventually it was decided to just let them be and they went off and lived out their lives together.”  
          Ed pursed his lips after this explanation.  “So you’re saying let him do what he feels like he needs to do, but don’t give him too much space to hang himself on.  I think I can work with that.  Now,” he turned to face Roy.  “I need to know how you want to handle the intimacy as you called it.  Al’s body seems to need it much more than mine does, and I don’t know when it’s gonna kick back in, but I’m betting it’ll be soon.”

          Roy nodded.  “Yes I imagine it will.  I don’t want to embarrass Alphonse any further than necessary, so I’ll definitely follow your lead on that.  Would it be easier if I just happened to have to spend a couple of evenings late at the office?”

          Ed narrowed eyes at that.  “Not really sure.  A lot of times we’d just wake each other up, but since we’re all in one bed now I’m not sure how that’s gonna work.  You and Al aren’t trying to pull some stupid schedule shit are you?”

          Roy’s eyebrow raised in surprise.  “My, that was faster than I thought it’d be.  Alphonse was in favor of a rotating schedule, but I pointed out that you’d see through that.  Unless you’d rather use it to your advantage?”

          A small grin broke out over Ed’s face.  “You know, I think I just might.  But if I’m gonna use the schedule there has to be at least once a week when you and Al spend time together.  The two of you need to get used to each other.”

          Roy idly traced a line of condensation on the table.  “That might make your brother uncomfortable.”

          “Yeah well, the two of you will figure it out.  I don’t care what you do to pass the time,” he paused at Roy’s quickly hiked eyebrow and narrowed golden eyes at him.  “Even **that** as long as he wants it.  But you’re both so fucking careful around each other it’s ridiculous.”

          Roy looked away momentarily to collect himself.  “We have been rather cautious, I agree.  But I’ve had not indication that Alphonse is interested in me sexually.”

          Ed snorted.  “That’s cuz you haven’t used that voice you have on him.  But I really wasn’t heading that direction when I said I wanted you to spend time together.  I belong to the two of you now, so I need you to at least get comfortable with each other.”  Setting down his mug sans coffee Edward turned to regard the older man.  “Now, seeing as we have time to ourselves, why don’t we go snuggle and catch each other up on what the hell we were doing while we were on different worlds.”

          Roy blinked at the change of conversation, then managed a smile.  “I’d forgotten you like to snuggle while we talk.”

          Ed smiled back before rising to set his breakfast dishes in the sink.  “It’s a well-guarded secret.  Come on let’s go get warm,” the younger man called over his shoulder as he exited the kitchen.

* * *

 

          Al happily patted the folded notes he’d put together before leaving the library.  They were currently placed in the outer pocket of his coat while he began the walk back to Roy’s house.  Based on the information he’d gathered Al knew which school he’d prefer to go to, but was going to leave the ultimate decision up to Ed who’d need to find a teaching position he was comfortable with.

          As he made his way down the sidewalk a figure in the blue Amestris uniform stepped out of an office building ahead of him.  Al was preparing to nod politely and continue on down the sidewalk when he noticed it was Major Maria Ross.  Moving aside to let another uniformed person by, he smiled at the former Lieutenant.

          “Hello Maria, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

          She glanced up from the paperwork she’d been glancing through to smile warmly back at him.  “Well hello Alphonse.  How are you adjusting to being back?”

          A small shrug came from his taller frame.  “I think adjusting is the best way to put it.  The General has always been a big part of our lives, but we’ve never lived with him before.”

          A look of concern passed briefly over Maria’s face.  “You know, you should ask him about the conversation we had.  And if you ever need to talk about anything Alphonse, please know that you can either call or come by anytime.  I mean that.”

          Confusion crossed Al’s face, but he nodded in acknowledgement.  Maria smiled then added “And when Winry comes by to take a look at your brother’s auto-mail let her know she’s welcome to stay with Riza and I.”

          Panic briefly appeared on Al’s face.  “Oh crap Winry’s going to kill us.  Neither of us thought to call her or anything!”

          Maria laughed before shaking her head.  “I doubt that she’ll be anything but thrilled to have you both home again, but please do extend to invitation to her.  I’ve got to get going, but it was wonderful seeing you Alphonse.”

          Al hesitated briefly, then darted in to give Maria a quick hug before trotting off toward Roy’s home.  Maria stared after him for a long moment before muttering softly, “I really need to be checking in on them more often.”

          Al made his way into the hallway, pulling his notes out of the coat before hanging it up.  The house was quiet and he suddenly wondered if Ed and Roy had gone somewhere, but it didn’t appear so.  Slowly Al made his way upstairs with the intention of quickly going back down if the door to Roy’s bedroom was closed.  Instead he found the door open with two very sleepy men snuggled together under the top blanket.

          Puzzled he walked over to the two, who were talking quietly and laughing occasionally.  Roy saw him first as he was facing the doorway and looked up with a smile for the younger brother.  “How was your trip to the library, Alphonse?”

          “It was very informative – I got lots of information on both of the schools you’d looked at for us.  I was going to show you both the notes I gathered, but….what are you doing?” he finished in confusion.

          Ed stretched like a cat and rolled over to face his sibling.  He snuggled back against Roy while smiling contentedly at Al.  “We’re catching up.  Wanna join us?  Snuggling is the best way to talk when you’ve got lots to say,” he added with a yawn.

          Al looked at the two of them in consternation.  “But I thought….” He trailed off when Roy raised one brow in question and Ed appeared to be in the process of falling asleep.  “Well I guess we’ll go over the school information later then.  I’m going to go see what we have for dinner.”  Al turned to go back downstairs, but came up short when Roy’s lazy voice called over to him.

          “I think we’re going to take a nap if you’d like to join us, Alphonse.  Talking about life events for two and a half hours wore us out, but there’s plenty of room for you.”

          Ed’s eyes opened a crack as he smiled sleepily over at his brother.  “C’mon Al.  We can make dinner later.  Naps are the best,” he ended on a yawn.

          Haltingly Al approached the bed.  _I’m not getting under those covers if they’re both naked_ he thought a bit frantically, but found upon lifting the cover that both were fully clothed.  Chewing on his lip a moment he shrugged, then sat down to take off his boots.  Gingerly climbing into the bed he snuggled into the warmth of his brother’s body.  As he relaxed Al realized just how tired he was.  Dimly he felt Ed’s arm wrap over him, then Roy’s hand as well.  Sleep cradled the three of them for the remainder of the afternoon, and that evening the meal came together with ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please let me know if you find typos since I don't have a beta. Still not sure how long this is going to be. It's kind of taking it's time right now.
> 
> Also, this is in the comments, but I hadn't put anything in the notes yet. Updates are on hold until mid April to Summer as I'm going to be ending my last class in April and having surgery to remove skin cancer in May.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to [Lynx212](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynx212/pseuds/Lynx212) for helping me get motivated to finish this chapter.  

 

          Roy woke first the next morning and took some time to just lay there watching the brothers sleeping peacefully.  Things were awkward at the moment, but part of him that had been frozen and alone for so long was beginning to thaw.  The Elrics were his family and he would do whatever was necessary to keep the three of them together.

          After making his way to the restroom and emptying his bladder Roy made his slow way downstairs.  It was almost guaranteed Alphonse would be up before Edward and with this thought in mind Roy stopped by his study to gather his research materials on bonded souls.  He felt it was only fair for both Elrics to have this information, so he laid the file on the kitchen table before prepping for breakfast.

          As predicted Alphonse came downstairs in his robe and slippers not long after Roy had awoken.  With a small smile Roy pushed a mug toward the younger Elric before turning back to the waffles he was cooking.  Alphonse selected the tea he wanted and began the steeping process before heading over to the table.

          At the sight of the folder he frowned slightly and looked over at Roy.  The older man had been anticipating this reaction and nodded toward the folder.  “I’ve already talk to Edward about that and felt it was only fair for you to have the information as well.  Go ahead, it won’t bite,” he added.

          With a frown of concentration Al slid his steeping mug out of the way.  He opened the file and began reading about the alchemist who had fused the souls of two young adolescent boys together.  Much like Ed was wont to do with books, Al lost track of time as he perused the files.  Roy approached with a plate bearing waffles and some pears he’d cut up for topping.  There was also butter and whipped cream which were placed on the table as Roy looked at Al to assess his mood.

          Finally, Al pulled back from the files to remove the tea bag from his mug.  “You were serious about researching our situation.  I wasn’t sure you were before…”

          It wasn’t obvious how Al was feeling and Roy was feeling a bit discomfited by not knowing how the younger Elric felt.  Just in cast Al wanted space he pulled out a chair across from him instead of the one next to him and sat down with his own plate of food.  “Well yes I wanted to know what else was known about alchemically bound souls before the two of you got back.  It was quite helpful in accepting the intimacy between you and Edward, and it also illuminated the need to keep the two of you together.”  Roy sat quietly for a moment.  “I hope you know I don’t expect anything other than what we all agreed to, Alphonse.  It has been a somewhat awkward, but wonderful experience having the two of you here with me.  And I’ll do whatever is necessary for the three of us to stay together.”

          Al meditatively sipped on his tea.  “What if I could change it?”

          Something in Roy clenched.  “What are you talking about?” he asked softly.

          Al turned burning bronze eyes to Roy.  “What if I could break the soul bond between Brother and I?  If I could do that then it wouldn’t be awkward anymore.  We could live in different places if we wanted to.  We wouldn’t **have** to live together if we didn’t want to, and you and Brother could just be… you and Brother,” he finished softly.

          Roy was actually shaking.  “I didn’t give you that information so you could try human transmutation again,” the voice coming from him wasn’t right.  It was soft and breathy like the person saying the words was in shock.

          Al frowned in concern.  “Well I wouldn’t try anything until I’ve researched extensively, but I thought this would make you happy.  Why do you look so upset?”

          Roy pulled a shaky hand over his face.  “Would any of this research involve your brother’s opinion?”

          Startled, Al pulled back from where he’d been leaning across the table toward Roy.  “Of course not.  Brother would never agree to it!”

          Roy picked up his napkin and blotted his mouth.  “And neither can I.  I will not be the reason you put yourself in danger, Alphonse.  Human transmutation never ends the way you want it to.  And neither of us could live with losing you, even if you don’t believe me right now.”

          Al stared at Roy in consternation before sitting back.  He finished his tea before taking his half eaten waffle to the trash.  After cleaning up his dishes Al stood at the sink staring down at it.  “I didn’t mean to upset you.  It’s just… I want the chance to not have to force my way into your life with Ed.  And this could be it.  So I’m going to look into it, but I won’t do anything without you looking it over.”

          This was the point where Ed made his bewildered way into the kitchen.  He rubbed his eyes and looked at the two of them with a frown.  “Did you guys have a fight over the coffee?”

          Al turned and smiled brightly at his brother.  “No of course not.  Let me get your coffee for you.”

          Roy sat and watched Al get Ed his coffee, then saunter out of the room as if he hadn’t just opened a crater in Roy’s chest.  “Something wrong?” Ed asked in concern as he sat down next to Roy.

          “Perhaps.  I’m not sure yet, but I will let you know as soon as I’m sure,” Roy murmured.  He glanced unsurprised at Ed discovering his uneaten waffle, which was rapidly disappearing.  _I will have to keep a very close eye on Alphonse.  And if necessary, I will have to stop him._

* * *

 

          Roy had last seen Edward plopped across his couch looking over the information on alchemical teaching programs.  He was almost certain the older of the brothers would fall asleep on the material at some point, giving him ample time to corner the younger Elric.  Who at the moment happened to be pilfering Roy’s office for alchemical sources on a subject matter Roy had never wanted either of the brothers to broach again.

          Quietly Roy walked to his office and pushed the door open.  Alphonse seemed to have collected the books he wanted to research and was diligently returning the others to the shelfs Roy had them on originally.  Clearing his throat so Alphonse wouldn’t be startled by his appearance, Roy casually entered the room.

          Al seemed to tense briefly, then relax upon Roy’s appearance.  Finding Al more difficult to read than his brother definitely had Roy watching for any hint of what might be going on in the younger Elric’s mind.  “Might I ask if there are any other reasons other than those you’ve already stated as to why you’d want to risk human transmutation again,” Roy asked quietly.

          Al eyed the older man for a moment before seeming to come to a decision.  “Brother returned me to my body, but he’s still got the auto-mail.  Other than the other unique challenges which apply to our situation, I just feel like Ed got the raw end of the deal.  This would take care of both of those problems.”

          Roy felt the churning inside calm a bit at this revelation.  _Ah, this is how the Elric guilt complex manifests in Alphonse._   He walked a bit further into the room and took the seat at his desk.  He then pointed his toes out toward the floor, focusing his eyes on his own legs rather than putting Al on the spot.

          “Alphonse, I don’t know how much Edward has told you about what happened before he went to the other world, but I think it’s important that you know this.”  Roy stopped and lifted his head to meet Al’s eyes.  “You got your brother’s body back.  He was whole and without auto-mail, but he was also without you.  And he couldn’t live without you, so he sacrificed the perfect body you gave him to get you back.  And we both know your brother will continue to do that if you try human transmutation again and it goes wrong.  Edward won’t want to live in a world that you’re not a part of.”

          Roy let that sink in while he contemplated the small pile of books Alphonse had accumulated.  He had already accepted that a life without the Elrics wasn’t a life he wanted.  And knowing how stubborn Elrics could be, he wasn’t sure he could completely steer Alphonse off this path.  It wouldn’t hurt to let Al research the materials and along the way Roy might be able to find a way to help Alphonse deal with his guilt.

          While Al contemplated Roy’s words, the older man turned his head to observe the rest of his sanctum.  Ironically he’d not been in this room much since the Elrics’ return, but he’d practically lived here while they were on the other side of the gate.  Roy eyed the helmet he’d conversed with while Alphonse was physically on the other world.  He’d never really thought the current conversation was ever something they’d discuss once the brothers returned.  He’d just been desperate to get them both back.

          Al sat down on the floor near the pile of books he’d made.  He pulled his knees up and put his arms around them, obviously thinking over what Roy had revealed to him.  Eventually he lay his head down on top of his knees and looked over at Roy.

          “He never told me that.  And I understand why you’re telling me now, but I have to at least look.  Brother doesn’t deserve to be bound to me the way he is.  And I want to have a relationship with a woman someday.  At least I think I do.  The way things are now don’t give either of us much choice in that matter.  Besides, do you really want to share Ed with me for years?”

          Roy leaned his head back to contemplate the ceiling.  “Alphonse I will always share you with Edward, it just may not be in the same context we’re in presently.  I wasn’t aware you were intimately interested in women, but I can see how that would heighten your need to find an alternative to our current situation.  This is just very delicate and I cannot condone you attempting human transmutation again.  However, I will agree to helping you research alternatives that both of us are comfortable with.  That is the most I’m able to compromise on without sharing our conversations with Edward.”

          Al seemed to roll this information over in his mind.  While far from being pleased he seemed to be accepting of the compromise.  “Have I thanked you recently for being the amazing moral compass of humanity that you are?” Al asked eventually.

          This startled Roy enough to pull his gaze from the ceiling to the bronze eyes staring at him intently.  “Well….no,” he managed.

          Al gave him a small smile before standing.  “You are and we wouldn’t be here today without you.  I’m going to take these books up to my room and start reading if that’s okay with you.”

          Dimly Roy realized he was nodding at Al.  He continued to sit in a confused state as the younger Elric gathered the books and left his office.  _I should know by now that nothing is ever easy with them.  Nothing is ever simple and they will always amaze me.  And how in the world am I going to keep this from Edward?_

* * *

 

          Roy’s prediction of Ed falling asleep had proven accurate.  Ed walked into Roy’s office rubbing his eyes sometime in the later afternoon.  Roy gathered himself from his private thoughts to smile at the man who meant so much to him.  It was a bit of a surprise when Ed walked over and curled into his lap, until Roy remembered Ed had always liked a good cuddle after waking from a nap.  Slowly Roy let his fingers play over Ed’s fall of golden hair.  The length had come undone during his nap and both of them had always enjoyed when Roy played with Ed’s hair in this way.

          Ed’s head had naturally come to rest on Roy’s shoulder as they sat together.  They were still in a pleasant haze when Al silently arrived outside the room to observe them.  Bronze eyes watched them for a few moments while Al thought _This is why I need to at least try.  They need to be able to exist without my constant presence, and I need to feel like I’m not a leech.  Roy will never understand how much I admire his resolve, but all three of us deserve to find love without having this soul bond as a chain._

          Al gave them a few more moments before quietly retreating to the bottom of the stairwell.  As he approached the study this time Al made sure to make lots of obvious noise so the others could compose themselves by the time he arrived.  Roy slid him a look telling him he wasn’t fooled, but Ed never even knew he’d been there silently observing them.  The brothers made plans to walk a few blocks away to get some food they’d been missing while on the other side while Roy waved them off.

          After they’d left, Roy quickly made his way over to the telephone he kept in the hallway.  Dialing from memory, he smiled when Riza picked up the other line.  “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you please let Maria know I need to speak to her about the Elrics?  I’m hoping the time she spent with them will give some insight I’m currently lacking,” he explained, while silently acknowledging he couldn’t talk to her about the other concern he needed to address.

          “Of course, actually she’s right here.  Would you like to speak with her?”

          “That would be lovely,” Roy replied genuinely.

          After a moment of the phone being passed Roy heard Maria Ross’ voice.  “Hello Roy, are our boys keeping you busy?”

          Roy exhaled in relief while closing his eye.  “Yes, in ways I wouldn’t have imagined.  Is there any way we could meet somewhere?  I don’t think I should mention all of this over a telephone line.”

          There was a short pause as Maria processed what he wasn’t saying aloud.  “Yes definitely.  Why don’t I meet you at that coffee shop down from your place and we can talk there,” came the calm reply.  “I can be there in about fifteen minutes if that works for you.”

          Roy used the hand that wasn’t holding the telephone to massage gently at his neck.  “Thank you, yes that would be immensely helpful,” he murmured.  “I’ll meet you there shortly.”

          Scribbling a quick note for Edward and Alphonse, Roy grabbed a pair of his gloves to thrown in his coat pocket before walking out the door.  It was with hopes that Maria might put his current situation with Alphonse into a better perspective that he walked out into the early evening.  She’d dealt with an impossible situation with some dear friends, and so he was hoping she’d help him find a way around this that wouldn’t end in disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit shorter than the previous chapters, but I felt it was good as is so I'm not adding more. The first bit of this was written months ago, and it took me by surprise. I was expecting SAA to go in a completely different direction, and when Al said what he said (because that wasn't anything I'd planned) it threw me. At first I thought there was too much anger there to work with, but the more I thought about it, the more it felt like a real reaction. So...SAA is veering off into territory I hadn't expected to cover. No idea how long it will take me to post updates (that pretty much covers all of my WIPS right now), but I'm not abandoning anything. Eventually the chapters will come.
> 
> Also, I wanted to take a moment and point out that I'm doing my very best to write this 'verse with the dignity, compassion, and sensitivity a situation like this would warrant. Yes there will be smut later on, but it feels very important to cover all the intricacies the characters are going through. Incest is a taboo and to write this story as if it were no big deal feels like a disservice. 
> 
> I hope you all stick around for the chapters to come, and please don't hesitate to point out typos! Very grateful to all the people who read these crazy stories I write, and thankful to the archive to providing a place for all of us to connect to our fandoms.


	4. Chapter 4

          To the casual observer, Maria Ross and Roy Mustang looked like two ordinary people enjoying a cup of coffee together.  Only those who knew the General very well would be able to tell how truly upset he was from the stiff way he was moving and how rigid his face looked.  Maria had looked truly shocked for a moment before schooling her features to look mildly interested after Roy relayed his conversations with Alphonse.

          Roy went on to mention knowing Alphonse had seen him cuddling with Edward and could only conclude this hadn’t helped with the entire situation.  “Really, I never expected this.  Looking back I probably should have because we all know the Elrics never go about anything the easy way.  But I just feel lost right now.  Edward can’t know about this or he will attempt human transmutation without doing the research his brother is doing.  Edward doesn’t always think things through when it comes to Alphonse and I don’t know what I can do,” Roy finished miserably.

          Maria made a sympathetic noise as she raised her mug to take a sip.  She wasn’t surprised by the situation, because it did seem like something Al would undertake, but it was upsetting to hear when she’d been hoping their unique situation was going more smoothly.  “Roy, have you considered that a big part of this problem is simply the fact that the Elrics have no idea what human interaction is really like?”

          Taking a moment to consider this, Roy permitted himself a small frown.  “I’m not sure what you mean?”

          Maria sighed before setting her mug back down and attempting to explain her thoughts.  “Well, Ed and Al didn’t see their parents have a normal marriage.  They didn’t really get a chance to grow up as normal kids because everyone in their town was affected by the Ishbalan war and then their dad left and their mom died.  They genuinely don’t know what people usually do around other people they like and admire.”

          Roy tilted his head a bit to show his interest in where she was going with this.  Maria said, “They don’t know anything except what they’ve experienced themselves.  Most of their formative years were spent around the military.  Think about that for a minute, Roy.  The military culture doesn’t encourage touch and two kids spent their adolescence learning this culture.  Did you ever just touch either of them casually while Ed was under your command?”

          Roy took a moment to try and remember.  The only person he could remember casually touching Alphonse was Hawkeye, but neither he nor the rest of his team had done much physical touching of the younger Elric.  Ed had been different because he would respond to the team’s jesting, but Al had been uniquely unable to respond the way a normal human would have. 

Maria let that sink in for a moment before continuing.  “Al probably feels like you resent him because that’s how he’d feel about anyone else being as close to Ed as he is.  He really doesn’t understand that you want to have both of them in your life.  I think he feels like he’s just taking up unwanted space because of the soul bound.”

          Roy meditatively sipped his coffee while he thought about this.  It made quite a bit of sense for Elrics, but it still left him feeling useless.  “Let’s say you’re right.  How do I go about convincing him I want them both in my life?”

          “Well, you might want to start by showing both of them touch doesn’t necessarily have to be sexual every time.  My understanding is they just kind of fell into their new relationship, and they may not understand that they can touch each other and other people without it leading to sex.”  Maria thought for a moment, then came up with a couple of examples. 

          “This seems like simple stuff, but have you hugged Alphonse or touched him at all since they came back?  Maybe offering a massage would be a good idea since Ed can’t massage either of you with his auto-mail without worrying about hurting you.  I think they’re both really unclear on what kind of touching they can do around you and maybe even around each other if it’s not sexual.  Plus, with Al spending so many of his formative years as a suit of armor he didn’t get the chance to casually touch anything.  He had to be careful not to hurt things when he really just wanted to connect with them.”

          Roy blinked a couple of times while thinking about her words.  The realization that she was right about how Alphonse and that they had been so careful around each other was both humiliating and encouraging.  This was something he could work on with both of them and it might even help the younger Elric to feel less unwanted.

          “So, casual touching is a good way to start, I can work with that.  Perhaps by the time we’ve worked some of this out Alphonse will have let go of the idea of trying to separate their souls.”

          Maria sent a considering look Roy’s way.  “Would it really bother you if there were a way to separate their souls without attempting human transmutation?  I guess what I’m asking is, are you really okay with them being sexually active with each other?”

          Roy took his time answering this question, both because he knew Maria was genuinely concerned about the three of them and because he wanted to make sure he worded this the right way.  “I knew before they came back this was part of their new reality.  And I accepted that.  I think perhaps the actual problem I’m facing now is that I don’t know how I’ll react to seeing them kissing or being intimate.  A very large part of me is frightened that I won’t be able to handle it very well and that may be all that Alphonse needs to try this alchemy.”

          Maria thought about what he’d said before pointing out quietly, “So you don’t appear to have a problem with them being together this way in theory.  That’s far more than most people would be able to say in your situation.”

          Roy smiled a bit ruefully.  “Edward and Alphonse are a set.  You don’t get one without the other.  Once I’d deduced the new aspect of their relationship it made sense in a bizarre Elric kind of way.  I suppose my main task now is finding a way to let Alphonse know the three of us fit together in an equally bizarre kind of way.  I can’t imagine my life without either of them at this point,” he added quietly.

                    She nodded her understanding then looked at her watch.  “Okay that’s all the time I can give you without having Riza begin to worry about me.  Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help with, and I’m always here for Ed and Al as well.”

          Roy nodded his thanks as she sent him a quick smile before leaving the little courtyard area of the coffee shop.  While Maria had brought up a somewhat humiliating oversight on his part, overall, she had helped him to understand that he did need to change his relationship with his new family.  After taking one last sip of his coffee, Roy also left the courtyard and began making his way back to his home.

~*~

          Ed took the dumplings and noodles into the kitchen then called out for Roy.  When there was no answer he frowned, and looked over at Al, who ventured out into the hallway and discovered the note the General had left.  “He went to meet Maria Ross for a few minutes,” Al called out to his brother.

          Ed’s frown grew confused.  “Why the fuck would he do that when he knew we were going out for food?”

          Al’s expression was contemplative.  “I think perhaps Major Ross has become a confidant of sorts for the General.”

          Ed shot a sour gaze Al’s way.  “Why are you calling him the General?  His name’s Roy – we live in his house with him Al.  We’re not under his command anymore.”

          Al looked down and toed the floor with one of his boots.  “Well Roy and I don’t know each other that well, Brother.  Sometimes I feel more comfortable thinking of him as the General.”

          “Hmmm,” was the answer to that statement.  Ed was getting bowls and plates out for the food, and Al gratefully took the opportunity to drop the subject.  They carried their food to the table and left the stoneware for Roy on the counter. 

          As they were eating Al couldn’t help but remember what Roy had told him earlier.  He didn’t remember Ed getting his body back, but there were some fuzzy spots in his memory before he’d gotten his physical body back.  It was possible Ed had gotten his full body back and Al just didn’t remember it. 

          “Whatcha thinking about,” Ed asked curiously. 

          “Well, Roy told me something.  And I can’t remember it so I was hoping you could maybe tell me…”  Al let the question hang.  He wanted to know, but he didn’t want to upset Ed.

          Ed blinked at him and sucked in a noodle.  “What are you talking about?  I thought you had all your memories back now.”

          Al looked down into his bowl and stirred the dumplings and broth.  He took a fortifying breath before asking, “Well, I don’t remember everything between when I was armor and when I was back in my body.  There’s some fuzzy stuff and I don’t know what happened.  Roy said I got your body back, but I don’t remember it.”

          Ed’s breath slowed and he moved his auto-mail arm under the table so Al wouldn’t see how it was clenching.  While outwardly he didn’t show much his mind was racing.  _He doesn’t remember me dying and him giving up his soul to bring me back?  And why would Roy bring that up?  Roy wouldn’t bring this up unless he felt like he had to.  Roy wouldn’t try to raise Al’s guilt unless he felt he had no choice, so why the fuck were they having this conversation?!?_

          Slowly, Ed lowered his spoon and leveled his gaze on his younger brother.  “Al, what were you talking with Roy about before he brought that up?”

          Startled, bronze eyes flew up to meet piercing gold.  “Brother?”

          “Don’t try to bullshit me, Al.  Roy wouldn’t bring up the fact that I gave up my limbs to bring you back to the world unless he felt like he had to.  So, what gives?  What made him feel like he needed to do that?”

          “Ahhh,” Al desperately tried to think of anything he could say other than the truth.  “I don’t suppose you’d believe he was trying to help me remember?”

          “No, I wouldn’t,” Ed said flatly.  “What the fuck is going on, Al?  Roy knows how we both feel about when we tried to bring Mom back.  He knows how guilty we both feel about what happened to our bodies.  I don’t understand….” Ed’s eyes grew round, then narrowed.  “Wait.  Are you still upset about me having the auto-mail?”

          “Well, yes,” because this was a big part of it.  Al couldn’t stand that Ed was still in pain while Al had naught a scar on his body. 

          Ed’s gaze softened on him.  “Alphonse.  Do you have any idea what it was like to wake up and you were just GONE?  I couldn’t…. I can’t live like that.  I’d give up whatever it took to keep you safe and with me.  Some auto-mail is a small price to pay to have you here.  I mean, yeah, it’d be nice to have my real arm back so I could actually touch the people I care about without worrying about hurting them, but if it came down to it I’d turn my whole body to steel to keep you with me.”

          Al sat very still and tried to process this as they heard the front door open.  Ed sent Al a small smile before getting up to let Roy know they were in the kitchen.  Al could hear them murmuring to each other in the hallway as he gradually relaxed his body.  _Brother means it.  He’ll do whatever he thinks is necessary to keep me safe.  If he knew what I was planning he’d just do the alchemy to break our soul bond and probably lose himself in the process.  I have to be so careful with this.  If anyone else got hurt I couldn’t live with myself._

          Roy came back into the kitchen with Ed, who promptly sat down to eat again.  As he passed Alphonse, Roy laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.  Startled, Al glanced up to see Roy give him a small smile before moving off to get his own food.  Perplexed, Al turned to look at Ed who just grinned sunnily at him.

          Al slowly ate his food as he listened to Roy and Ed talk about needing to set up a visit with Winry so she could look at Ed’s auto-mail.  The shoulder squeeze had been nice, but what did it mean?  Absently, Al murmured “Maria said to tell you Winry could stay with them when she comes out.”

          Roy smiled gently.  “Ah yes, she’s been extremely helpful lately.  In fact, I think the two of you may want to make some time soon to sit down and speak with her privately.  Maria has some very good friends that she’d love to tell you about.”

~*~

          After dinner, they’d all gone upstairs.  Al had gone to his room to read some of the materials from Roy’s office while Ed settled in to try and read over the school materials again.  Roy pulled a novel he’d been plugging away at from a bookshelf in the hallway before joining Ed. 

          As he was coming in the room, Ed caught Roy’s eye and quietly said, “Close the door.”  With a questioning look, Roy did as asked before coming to sit on the side of the bed Ed was reading on. 

          Setting the school materials to the side Ed gave a quiet sigh before saying, “Look Al said something this afternoon.  I’m pretty sure he said something that bothered you for you to tell him about me giving up my limbs to bring him back.  So, my question is can you tell me what happened or did he ask you not to?”

          Roy picked up Ed’s left hand and held it between his own.  He placed a small kiss on the hand he held before meeting Ed’s gaze.  “It’s not really something I can talk to you about, love.  But I promise I won’t let Alphonse do anything that might endanger himself.  The two of you are the most important things in my life now, you know that.  But yes, he did say something that bothered me.”

          Troubled, Ed lay his head back against the headboard.  “Why did I let myself think things would be easier once we got back?  Some of it has been, but other stuff has gotten much more complicated.”

          Since Ed hadn’t pulled his hand back yet, Roy began to slowly massage the muscles.  “The situation we’re in is rather complex.  It’s not as if any of us have ever dealt with this before and as long as nothing dire happens I’ll count it as a good day.  How does that feel?”

          “Fucking amazing,” Ed sighed.  Several minutes passed as Roy continued the massage up into Ed’s arm before Ed signaled enough.  “You keep that up and I’m gonna fall asleep,” he mumbled with a relaxed smile.

          “Well then you should get ready for bed.  I’ll let Alphonse know we’re settling in,” Roy gathered his pajamas and knocked on Al’s door to relay the message before heading to the bathroom.

          When Al padded in wearing his favorite pajamas, Ed gave him a tired smile.  Al shook his head at him in exasperation before stating, “Brother you’ve still got to get dressed and use the restroom.  You can’t just fall asleep in your clothes.”

          “It’s Roy’s fault,” Ed mumbled.  “Gave me a hand massage.  You should see if he’ll give you one sometime.”

          “I’d be happy to oblige if Alphonse feels comfortable with it,” Roy spoke from just behind Al.  “The bathroom is yours, I’ll get your brother’s clothes out for him since it’s my fault he’s being so lazy.”

          Al threw a grin at Roy over his shoulder.  “We both know Brother’s lazy with no help from anyone else.  Be right back,” he called as he turned to walk out the door to take care of night time ablutions.

          Roy pulled a pair of pajamas out and threw them at Ed.  “You have to put them on yourself.”  Ed mumbled a small complaint, but picked up the clean clothes and staggered out the door.

          In the bathroom, Al was finishing up brushing his teeth when Ed stumbled in.  Al handed Ed his toothbrush before turning to head back to their mutual bedroom.  Once there, he hesitated since only he and Roy were in the room. 

          “I can try sleeping in my room,” Al began tentatively.

          “Yes, because that’s worked out so well,” Roy remarked drily.  Hesitantly, his hand moved to his eyepatch, before finally taking it off.  “We all agreed that sleeping together was best for now and I think we should keep that arrangement for the present.  We can discuss it again in the future if it still bothers you.  Come to bed, Alphonse.”

          Al swallowed before gingerly climbing into his designated side of the bed.  Ed had been sleeping between them, except for the night Roy had dreamt of Ishbal.  This was the first night Roy had taken his eyepatch off and Al knew it was a sign of trust from him.  Ed didn’t care about the scars, but Roy found them unattractive.  Which was ironic considering he’d never considered Ed’s scars ugly, but Al supposed it was the context of the scar itself.

          Ed stumbled back into the bedroom, already half asleep.  He crawled into his place between them and was tired enough he didn’t think about giving them each a quick kiss before snuggling his back up against Roy’s front.  Al was getting ready to scoot away to give them some space when Ed snaked out an arm for him.  “C’mere, Al,” his brother mumbled sleepily. 

          Slowly relaxing, Al let himself be pulled back against Ed.  With some surprise, he felt Roy’s arm curl over both of them.  Al still didn’t know what to make of all these touches from Roy, but he decided they were nice before he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un beta'd - please let me know if you find any typos. The flow of this has changed a bit, but I kind of like where it's going. It feels like it suits this phase of the story better. Not sure when I'll update again, but Winry is going to be visiting soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex happens! Do you guys have any idea how hard it is to write a sex scene between getting kids' homework done and trying to get them into bed? But, here's a new chapter that I hope everyone likes.

Al woke up confused before he realized what had woken him.  He wasn’t fully erect, but his body was awake and it was still fully dark in the room.  Moonlight shown through the curtains, but Al couldn’t see Roy’s alarm clock to know what time it was.  Lying in the bed Al slowly assessed what he was feeling, because while this wasn’t in any way new, it felt different.  While the want was there, the overriding need wasn’t.  It was as if his body was telling him that it would like to have sex, but it didn’t have to have it the way it had needed it before.

          Taking a few deep breaths to help relax himself, Al thought about that.  He’d noticed a slight difference in his body since they got back, but hadn’t thought much about it.  He gazed at Ed sleeping on the pillow next to him and realized _It feels more like I can choose now.  Before there was only this horrible need, and now…Now it feels like we’ve got more time to figure out what we want._

          As if Ed could somehow tell he was thinking instead of sleeping, the older Elric frowned a bit before blinking.  Ed was still wrapped up in Roy’s arm and had his auto-mail flung over Al, but was beginning to move because something was off.  Al shushed him and ran a hand down his brother’s hair to soothe him.  Settling down, but still wakeful, Ed blinked a question at him.

          “It’s alright, Brother.  Go back to sleep,” Al whispered.

          Sleepy eyes narrowed suspiciously.  “But why’re you awake?”

          “No reason, really.  I just woke up.  But I’m going to go back to sleep, so you should, too.”

          Ed’s eyes searched his before apparently accepting this.  Ed brought his left hand up from under the pillow and stroked Al’s cheek.  “Alright.  Love you, Al.”

          Al smiled softly and turned into his brother’s caress.  “Love you, too.  Go to sleep,” he whispered again.

          Ed blinked at him one more time before pulling Al closer and tucking himself into the hollow of his throat.  As Ed settled against him and fell back into sleep, Al stroked his brother’s hair and looked across to Roy’s sleeping body.  _Maybe I can give you both time now.  Maybe I can figure out what I want now that my body’s back in this universe.  Maybe we can make this work without risking the alchemy again._

          Slowly Al relaxed enough to go back to sleep.  Next to them Roy kept his breathing even and wondered if he was imagining the relief in Al’s voice.  Eventually all three of them slept again.

~*~

          Roy woke first and began his morning by watching the two sleeping brothers for a few moments before getting out of the bed.  Was it his imagination or did Alphonse look more relaxed this morning?  Roy pondered what he’d heard the night before as he sleepily made his way to the bathroom and then down into the kitchen.

          Since eggs had been done before, Roy decided on sausage as the main course.  Biscuits went well with sausage, so he began to gather the makings for those as well.  Humming softly to himself, Roy also began the first pot of coffee.  Once that had started and the sausage was browning, but not burning, he grabbed the kettle to heat water for Al’s tea.

          Feeling quite pleased with himself for getting breakfast together before the brothers woke, Roy made himself a cup of coffee and sat to savor it for a few minutes.  The biscuits rose in the oven behind him and the sausage murmured quietly to itself as it finished browning.  With a happy sigh, Roy rose to stir the sausage before he heard the first rumble of movement from upstairs.

          To his surprise, both Ed and Al came down at the same time.  Al had always come down first before this morning, and Roy threw him a questioning glance upon his entrance to the kitchen.  Al furrowed his brows at him before seeming to understand the confusion.  With a bashful smile, Al said “I was very tired this morning.”

          Yawning, Ed smiled sleepily.  “Would you believe I woke up before he did?”

          After wrapping Ed in a warm hug, Roy walked over to where Al was fixing his tea.  Giving the younger Elric a small smile and another shoulder squeeze, Roy turned back to the food.  Ed had already helped himself to a plateful and was currently heading to the table to scarf it down.

          Roy placed a couple of biscuits and some sausage on his own plate before turning back to the table.  Noticing Al taking his time with his tea preparation, Roy pulled out his own chair and set his food upon the table.  After taking his own seat, Roy motioned for Al to come join them.

          Al eyed Roy for a moment before shaking his head slightly.  “I need to tell you both something and I’d like to stay where I am.”  Blowing across the top of his tea, Al closed his eyes, swallowed, then determinedly looked over at Ed and Roy.

          “I woke up in the middle of the night last night and realized something.  It’s something that I think will be important for all three of us, but I need you to hear me out.  I’ve been avoiding talking about this, and it’s extremely embarrassing, so I’m just going to put it out there.”  He swallowed, took another breath and sipped at his tea.

          Roy was beginning to look uneasy, while Ed managed total confusion.  Holding his warm mug in both hands, Al took one more fortifying breath, then just started talking.

          “When we were in France my body went crazy.  It needed things it had never wanted before.  It felt like I’d go crazy if we didn’t take care of it over there.  It was confusing and I think I pushed Brother in directions he didn’t always want to go.  I’ve been terrified that it was going to happen again, but…something’s changed.  I don’t know if it’s because we’re on the world I was born into or not, but the need is gone.  I don’t **have** to have sex anymore if I don’t want to and…” Al briefly looked over at his stricken brother and Roy, who appeared to be trying not to show any emotion at all.  “What I really want more than anything is to give the two of you some time together.  I don’t know what’s going to happen between us other than I will **not** be something that comes between the two of you.  The rest will happen on its own, but please Brother.  Please let me give you this.”

          Ed slowly pushed back from the table and made his way over to Al, who was still standing with his hands wrapped around his mug.  Gently, Ed took the mug from his brother, set it on the counter, then wrapped Al into a full body hug.  Al hugged him back fiercely.

          “I’ve never blamed you for any of it, Al, it was never your fault.  I loved you too fucking much before any of this happened for any of it to be your fault,” Ed whispered roughly into his ear.

          Al shook in both relief and reaction while Ed held him.  “But will you let me give you this?” he whispered back.

          Ed swallowed and pulled back slightly.  “If it’s that important to you, yes.”

          Roy had cautiously approached the two of them.  After Al smiled tremulously at Ed, Roy cleared his throat slightly.  “May I join you?”

          Alphonse blinked a teary question at him before figuring out what Roy was asking.  Shyly, Al stepped back into Ed’s embrace as Roy put arms around them.  Quietly, Roy said, “If this is what you really want, of course we’ll do it.  And I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I promise you I will never ask you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.  The two of you are my family and I will do whatever it takes to keep both of you with me.”

          After a few minutes, Al sniffed quietly.  “As nice as this is, the food’s going to get cold,” he pointed out.

          Roy pulled back from the hug and made his way over to his chair as Ed stroked Al’s cheek again.  “You gonna come sit down with us now?” Ed asked quietly.

          Al smiled slightly and nodded.  “I just need to get a plate.”

          After Ed sat back down, Roy reached for his left hand under the table.  As well as Ed seemed to be taking this, Roy could only imagine what he was thinking.  Ed squeezed his hand back hard under the table.

          Al brought his food over and began placing jam on a biscuit.  “I thought I’d walk over and maybe visit Mrs. Hughes and Elysia today.  Maybe I’ll stay over there until dinner time.”

          Ed silently chewed his food and tried not to crush Roy’s hand.  This hurt him in ways he wasn’t even sure of, but he knew Al needed it.  And he did want to spend time with Roy, this just felt like he was turning away from Al.

          Roy gave Ed’s hand one last squeeze, before raising it to grab a napkin and blot his mouth with it.  “There’s really no need for you to be gone all day, Alphonse.  How about if you come back around 3 pm or so?  Then the three of us can go out and have dinner together.”

          Al gazed at Roy uncertainly.  The general gazed right back at him and said, “I meant what I said, Al.  I want both of you in my life.  And I understand and appreciate why you want to give us some space, but I’m not sure you understand that neither of us feels like you’re taking up space here.”

          Ed finally spoke up saying, “I’d really like for the three of us to have dinner together.”

          Al’s eyes rapidly went between the two of them before he finally nodded.  “Okay.  I’ll be back around 3 pm then.”  Finishing up his breakfast, Al took his dishes over to the sink.  He turned to make his way out of the kitchen, but stopped in the doorway to look back at them.  “Thank you,” he said softly before quickly walking to the stairs and running up them.

          “Fuck.” Ed gritted out.  “This fucking sucks, how can he…”

          Roy sighed before turning to take Ed into his arms.  “I know this is hard on you, love.  But he needs to figure out what he wants.  And he’s always wanted the two of us to be together.”

          “But we **are** together, I don’t fucking get this,” Ed growled in frustration.

          Roy ran his hand down Ed’s hair soothingly.  “I think perhaps we need to teach Alphonse that you can have a relationship without having sex.  Not that I don’t want to have sex with you,” he added quickly.  “But I wonder if, because of the circumstances the two of you went through, if Alphonse understands emotional intimacy without sexual contact.”

          Slowly, Ed pulled back to look at him.  “You know…I think you might be onto something there.”

          They smiled at each other as Al hollered from the hallway, “Okay I’m going I’ll be back later!”

          Roy pulled Ed back into a hug.  Ed sighed against him, then said “I wanna have sex with you too, you bastard.  We should do that after we’re done hugging.”

          Roy smiled against Ed’s hair.  “As if I would ever turn sex with you down.”

          Hugging slowly transitioned into kissing before Roy stood and tugged Ed up after him.  “We’re not having sex for the first time in years on the kitchen table.”

          “Hmmm yeah the bed’s definitely better,” Ed mumbled.

          Roy thought about that as they made their way upstairs.  “Well.  There’s something to be said for having a house with lots of rooms in it.”

          Ed turned to scowl at the older man.  “Oh my God we are not doing it in every room in this house.  I keep forgetting what a pervert you are.”

          Roy blinked innocently at him.  “I seem to recall a time when the words coming out of your mouth were ‘harder’ not ‘you’re a pervert, Mustang’, but I suppose it’s possible I’m misremembering.”

          Ed tried to keep the scowl, but couldn’t help laughing.  “We both like ‘harder’ when we’re fucking, Roy.  And yeah, you probably will talk me into at least two other rooms because you’re a complete bastard, but for now we’re sticking to the bedroom.”

          “As you wish, my love,” Roy grinned.  As Ed passed through the doorway and into the bedroom, Roy paused to appreciate the significance of impending sex with Edward Elric. 

          As Ed turned to give him a ‘what are you waiting for’ look, Roy shifted his stance and prowled toward his lover.  Luckily since it was still morning, neither of them were wearing clothing that took much time to discard, so with a few tugs they were both nude.

          Roy pushed Ed gently back onto the bed and climbed up over him.  Once Ed was comfortable, Roy took his time nosing, tonguing, and kissing Ed’s body.  He felt as if he were relearning his lover, and in a way, he was.  This body was four years older than the last time he’d touched it.  Reverently, Roy made his way back up Ed, who was watching him with dilated eyes.

          “Is there any particular position you’d like,” Roy murmured as he breathed against Ed’s neck.

          “God.  No I don’t care as long as you touch me.  Is there…” Ed broke off with a gasp, as Roy nipped his ear.  “What do you want, you bastard?” Ed growled, knowing Roy had something in mind.

          “Well, since you’re being so very accommodating, Edward,” the general practically purred.  “What I’d like is for you to make me come in your mouth and afterwards for you to fuck me until neither of us can walk.”

          Ed swallowed, then reached to twine his left hand into Roy’s hair.  “Yeah, okay.  But we’re gonna have to change the sheets after cuz Al’s sleeping in here tonight and he’ll get skittish if he can smell it.”

“Will he now?  Because of the two of you Alphonse seems much more able to talk about intercourse.”  Roy blinked as he realized his normal filter was offline, then focused on Ed’s narrowed eyes.

“I’m sure you could have a fabulous conversation with Al about sex, but I’m the one you’re getting ready to be fucked by and I say we change the sheets afterwards.”

“Yes dear,” Roy murmured just before Ed flipped them over and sucked Roy into his mouth. 

After going down as far as he could on Roy and coming back up for air, Ed glanced up at Roy.  “Well look at that.  Still the only way I know of to shut you up.”

As Roy struggled to catch his breath, Ed grinned and laid back down to nose at Roy’s cock.  Licking up the underside earned him a whine, and taking him back into his mouth had the general speechless.  In very little time Roy’s first request was granted, after which Ed lay nuzzling Roy’s spent cock before taking in a deep breath.  Was it strange to miss this specific scent?  It was another essential part of Roy, and Roy had always loved Ed taking the time to appreciate the small things in their relationship.

Slowly, Ed slithered up Roy’s body to prop himself up on Roy’s chest.  “I missed the way you taste,” he whispered before kissing Roy.

Roy’s voice was the low growl Ed loved, but didn’t get to hear often.  “I missed the way I taste on you,” he whispered back once Ed’s tongue was out of his mouth.

“Mmmm.  That was one of your better ideas, Roy.  But I’ve gotta ask…You really haven’t had much action since I’ve been gone, have you?”

Slow amusement shown in Roy’s eye.  “Why, no, Edward.  There wasn’t any point in trying to start a relationship with anyone when my heart was yours.  It wouldn’t have been fair to either them or myself.”

Ed drew arrays on Roy’s chest while he thought about that.  “But…I mean no brothels or anything?  Four years is a long time, Roy.  I wouldn’t have held it against you.”

Roy sent him an incredulous look before bursting out laughing.  “You may not have held it against me NOW, but you most certainly would have held it against me the first time you left.  I did go to a brothel a couple of times in the first year, but I ended up talking about you to the very sweet lady who was happy to take her payment.  The last time I visited her, she told me she was very grateful for the extra money, but that I could get the same service she was providing from a friend rather than a prostitute.  It’s rare for a sex worker to say something along those lines, so I’m fairly certain she felt sorry for me.”

Ed had listened quietly to this exchange, still stroking and relearning Roy’s body.  Finally, he raised his eyes to meet Roy’s one, and said “That sucks.  You’re right, I probably would have held it against you the first time.  But, I guess I grew up some with what happened between me and Al.  I wish you hadn’t been so alone, Roy.”

Roy ran his hands up Ed’s face and tugged slightly to bring the blonde up for a kiss.  “If I hadn’t been so alone I’m not sure I would’ve been able to handle this entire situation as graciously as I’ve tried, Edward.  I wouldn’t change any of it.  Both of you are back now and I want a life with you both.  And now, my love, you owe me the second half of my request.”

Ed grinned against the side of Roy’s face.  “Yeah, you love being able to boss me around.”  With a small nip to Roy’s shoulder, Ed moved to the nightstand on Roy’s side of the bed.  A large quantity of the necessary supplies resided in the drawer, and Ed grabbed lube and a condom before turning back to Roy.

Opening the lube, Ed slicked up three of the fingers on his left hand.  Roy watched him and licked his lips.  “At some point in the future would you be interested in using your auto-mail?”

Ed finished prepping his fingers, then shot Roy a look.  “God, you and your fucking kinks, Roy.  I can fuck you with the auto-mail some other time if you want.  Never did understand that one,” he muttered as he moved to lift and push Roy’s right leg back and kept it there with the auto-mail.

Roy kept his gaze on Ed as slowly, Ed began to tease him open.  “I’ve tried to explain how I would fuck every part of you, Edward, but you never seem to take me seriously.”

Ed glanced up as a soft moan came from Roy.  After making sure it was a good moan and not painfilled, Ed rubbed Roy’s thigh with his auto-mail thumb and entered another finger into Roy.  The noises Roy made as Ed scissored his fingers and continued to stretch him open had haunted his dreams.  Licking his lips, Ed pulled his fingers together and stroked deliberated. 

Roy’s eye closed and his body bucked helplessly against Ed’s fingers.  Breath short and watching his lover, Ed growled, “Don’t you dare try and be quiet, Roy.  You always wanted to hear me, let me hear you.”

Roy’s lips parted as he let go and let himself moan, whimper, and gasp to the tune of Ed.  After one more finger and a bit more stretching, Ed glanced up.  “How do you want me?

Swallowing, Roy ground out, “You know what I want.”

Pulling out his fingers, Ed climbed up Roy for another taste before breathing into his ear, “Roll over then.”

Roy on his knees and elbows in front of him, head turned on the pillow to pant for breath before he’d even entered him.  Ed spread Roy’s cheeks and reached down to position himself.  Roy whined at just the feel of Ed pressing against him, then spread his hips just a bit wider.

Slowly, Ed pushed into and filled Roy with a few slow rocks inward.  Once he was seated, Ed lay his front to Roy’s back and gave him time to adjust.  Roy gave the all clear by trying to rock back onto him, and slowly, Ed began to fuck him.  He kept his auto-mail on the bed for both balance and safety, and reached underneath to grab Roy’s cock with his left.

The noises Roy made when Ed took him likes this…Ed began a chant of Roy’s name into the back of his neck as they moved together.  This was home for them both, this heat, warmth, the sounds and scent of them coming together.  It was shorter than he would have liked, but sex was never just sex with Roy, and there would be other times to savor.  As Roy cried out and tightened around him, Ed whispered brokenly, “Together, Roy.  We don’t work…apart.  No more being apart.”

Afterwards, Roy held him and stroked his hair the way they both loved.  “I meant what I said, Edward,” Roy rumbled.  “We’re family now.  We will find a way to make this work.  For all of us.”

Ed sighed a smile against him.  “Kay.  I’m gonna get some sleep now.  Love you, Roy.”

Roy snuggled him closer.  “Sleep now, love.  We’ve got plenty of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please point out any typos.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No smut this chapter, but there is plot! Not beta'd, hope you guys like it.

Thanks to [Lynx212](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynx212/pseuds/Lynx212) for letting me know people are still reading this.  

 

          The Morrigan peered into the bowl of water she’d been using as a mirror and frowned.  She’d been keeping an eye on those Elric brothers with mirror magic since they’d crossed over to see what she could learn about the Underworld on their side of the Gate, but all she’d gained so far was frustration.  The younger brother was denying his feelings for what she could only deduce was a sense of propriety.  And she was no closer to gaining the information she sought.

          Although, it was encouraging to see that the elder brother was being true to both his loves.  The Morrigan permitted herself a small smile at what she’d witnessed through the bedroom mirror.  The lovers had been quite invested in each other and had all the signs of long-lasting love.

          With a frown, The Morrigan set aside her scrying bowl and called Mananan over from where he’d been lounging running his fingers across lake water. 

          “Thank you for the gift of using water as well as mirrors for scrying.  It’s proven most useful,” she said with a smile as he settled next to her.

          “Of course, those boys have you more interested in the world than anything else that’s happened in the last few centuries.  Anything I can do to help keep your interest is my pleasure,” her brother assured with his own smile.  “It gets boring when you’re sleeping.”

          The Morrigan leaned her head into his shoulder so he could trail his fingers through her hair.  “I have been thinking of something and I wanted to ask your thoughts,” she murmured.

          Mananan looked down with interest.  “What are you thinking of doing, Morri?”

          The goddess reached over to trace one of the tattoos gracing his chest.  “How would you feel about me reaching out to others who share my duties to the Underworld?  It seems I cannot be the only goddess outraged over the lack of care for souls who should be resting between lives.”

          Mananan blinked in astonishment before grinning.  “Are you thinking of getting the ladies together?”

          The Morrigan allowed herself a small smile on his shoulder.  “Why does that amuse you?”

          “It’s been at least five centuries since your last gathering, and the fallout was marvelous.  Anything I can do to help, you just let me know, Morri.  It gets old constantly creating storms out in the sea.  I would much rather meddle in the humans’ affairs.”

          The Morrigan permitted herself a small giggle against her brother’s shoulder.  “You always did like to meddle.  Yes, I am thinking of reaching out to the ladies to see their thoughts on the thing in that Gate.  The nine of us plus Meng Po should be able to do enough damage to that thing to make some changes.  And if the ladies agree you could always speak with the consorts that travel with them.”

          Mananan made a small hmming noise.  “You never did take a consort, Morri.  Why is that?”

          Glancing up at him with a small smile, the goddess said, “You were never one to settle for just one of us.  And I could never tolerate anyone else’s presence long enough to take them as consort.”

          Mananan blinked before swallowing.  “If you’d told me that things might have been different.”

          The Morrigan sent another soft smile his way before shaking her head.  “I require much resting time and you get lonely.  It would not have been fair to you, dear Manan.  The youngest brother is planning on opening the Gate again for foolish reasons, but he seems not to be in a rush.  We can use that time to gather the ladies and be ready to meet him there when he does open it on his end.  The bastard in the Gate will never know what hit him,” she finished with satisfaction.

~*~

          After indulging in a short nap, the lovers woke and began to move about.  Roy and Ed had felt a bit like teenagers as they pulled the dirtied sheets off the now shared bed and put clean ones on it.  Roy glanced at the time before starting a bath for them with the soaking salts Ed had always loved.  They had plenty of time to soak, clean up, and get presentable for Alphonse’s return. 

          Roy’s bathroom was one of Ed’s favorite places in his townhouse.  After they’d gotten together, Roy had paid quite a bit to remodel it.  He’d had to make do with the smaller full bath downstairs while the construction had been ongoing, but it had been worth it.  The original wall behind the tub had been knocked out to take up space from the spare bedroom’s closet.  What now resided in Roy’s bathroom was a large, round tub which included a seating space in half of it.  Ed had spent hours lounging in that tub before he’d crossed over to the other side of the Gate.  It also had shower capabilities, but the soaking and lounging were both his and Ed’s favorite.

          Ed lay back against Roy’s chest with a happy sigh.  “That was so worth the wait,” he breathed happily.

          Roy chuckled against his lover’s head.  “Were you that pent-up, love?”

          Ed made a face.  “I missed you, but no, not really.  It’s been…” he let out a frustrated sound.  “Look, I need to know how much you’re comfortable talking about me and Al, Roy.”

          Roy took in a breath himself before slowly letting it out.  “If you’d asked me that question when the both of you got back, I wouldn’t have known how to answer it.  But, I’ve thought about it quite a bit.  And honestly, Edward, I’d rather the two of you be screwing like bunnies than tiptoeing around each other the way you are now.”

          Ed bounced his head helplessly off Roy’s chest before turning to face him.  “I know it’s fucking weird and all, but I miss all of it, Roy.  We are tiptoeing around each other and I just want him back.  I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

          Roy reached a hand to run through Ed’s hair.  “Can you tell me what it was like on the other side?” he asked quietly.

          Ed blinked at him before looking down into the water.  “I already told you what happened over there.”

          “No, you didn’t love.  You told me what happened to you before Alphonse’s arrival and then you told me all the specifics of how you got back to this side of the Gate, but you’ve never told me what happened between you and Alphonse.”

          Ed bit his lip before looking uncertainly at Roy.  “I wasn’t sure you wanted to hear about it,” he admitted quietly.

          Roy leaned back against the wall and quietly acknowledged how well enlarging the tub had gone.  There was room for several bodies now, which hadn’t been his original intention, but given their current circumstances might serve them all well in the future.  He smiled softly at Ed before saying, “Again, things are a bit different now.  I never thought I’d see a time when you and Alphonse were uncertain around each other.”

          Ed pulled back enough to wrap his arms around his knees, but then leaned back into Roy’s chest.  “It sucks,” he muttered petulantly.

          “Yes, I imagine it does.  Please, I don’t need specifics, but I do need to understand why the two of you are like this now.”

          Ed leaned further into Roy before softly beginning to explain how their bodies had been drawn to each other.  He talked about how he couldn’t stand the thought of Al turning to a stranger for sexual satisfaction, and how he’d felt like he was betraying Roy when he enjoyed having sex with Al.  After a bit of silence, he told Roy how he’d eventually acknowledged he’d fallen in love with Al, how he didn’t know how to feel about being in love with two people.  All the Roy stroked his hair patiently and gave him the time he needed.

          Ed had his eyes closed as he tried to put into words what he wanted to say.  Finally, he got out, “I didn’t go through all that shit to bring us back here just for him to shut me out, Roy.  I get that loving him the way I do is wrong, but I never thought…”

          Roy pursed his lips before saying quietly, “I’m in no place to tell you whether the way you love Alphonse is wrong, Edward.  Society tells us it is, but I know others have been in a similar situation.  What happened to the two of you as children is unprecedented.  There was no written record of two souls being joined as yours were at the time.  That has had a significant impact on the sexual attraction, but the two of you have always loved each other far more than most siblings do.  If it helps, I don’t think less of either of you for how you feel or what happened.”

          Ed opened his eyes and finally turned to meet Roy’s gaze.  “Do you have any ideas in that brilliant mind of yours?” he asked plaintively.

          Roy pulled Ed into his embrace again.  “I think patience and some uncomfortable conversations are going to be in our near future, but I promise you this will work itself out.  I’m going to have a one on one talk with Alphonse because I don’t think he understands my feelings on all of this.  But Edward, love, I do need you to understand that as attractive as I find the both of you, if Alphonse wants to keep things between just the two of you then that’s how they’ll stay.”

          Ed pulled away to shoot him a look.  “Al doesn’t know what the fuck he wants right now.  But, yeah, I know you’re not gonna pressure him with anything.  It’s one of the reasons I love you, you bastard.”

          “Hmmm.  It’s rather unfair for the both of you to have grown as attractive as you both are.  You do realize Alphonse will be having some major changes soon, don’t you love?  How are you going to handle two of us with lower voices?”

          Ed’s gaze went inward momentarily.  “Fuck my life we need to figure this shit out sooner than I thought.”

          “Yes, we do,” Roy murmured back to him.  “And I’ll remind you to be patient as we muddle through.  We’ll need to get out soon so we’re ready to go out for dinner by the time Alphonse returns,” he reminded Ed.

          “I thought this shit was supposed to get easier after we beat the Homunculi,” Ed grouched as he got out of the tub.

          “Wouldn’t it be nice if that were the case,” Roy said as he pulled the stopper from the tub and handed Ed a towel.

~*~

          Upon Alphonse’s return, Roy asked the brothers when they wanted to go out for dinner.  Ed was starving, and Al said he could eat as well, so Roy contemplated where in town to take one starving brother and one who was being polite.  Glancing over at the two of them, he observed the slight awkwardness which had been the new normal and sighed internally.  _Ed’s right, this does suck,_ he thought before clearing his throat.

          “I have no real preference, so where would the two of you like to go?”

          Ed glanced sideways at Al, who was busily observing the window at the end of the hallway, before making a face and turning to Roy.  “You know any good Xiangian restaurants?  We had stuff from that food truck down the way, but I miss real Xiangian food.”

          With a small nod, Roy smiled over at the brothers.  “I know a place that isn’t too formal but has traditional Xiangian food.  And they don’t require a reservation because about half of their customers prefer take-out.”

          “Awesome, let’s go there,” Ed said as he walked off to get his coat.  Al watched his brother walk off with a troubled expression, Roy noted.

          _It appears this is also bothering Alphonse.  Maybe I can get through to him on some level if I corner him_.  Roy had never planned to actively manipulate an Alphonse, but desperate times were finding him willing to try almost anything.

          Roy drove the short distance to the restaurant with Edward in the front, while Alphonse paid close attention to where the restaurant was from the townhouse.  Roy watched this with amusement as Ed has always been ruled by his stomach, but Al had always been the one to provide the food his brother craved.  Old habits die hard, it seemed.

          Upon arriving, Roy requested one of the areas in the back.  The brothers chose to sit on the same side of the table, while Roy sat opposite them.  He always had liked to observe the similarities and differences of the Elrics enjoying food.

          Since the restaurant was Xiangian, they’d exchanged their shoes for slippers at the entrance and were now all sitting comfortably on the floor.  Roy had ordered appetizers while Ed and Al took their time figuring out what they wanted from the main menu.  Roy watched in amusement as Ed changed his mind three separate times while Al took much longer to make his own decision.

          When the server was ready for their order Ed finally asked if he could have a small selection of each of the items he’d been considering.  Roy got his usual, and Al settled on a seafood entrée with white rice.  Roy shook his head no at the offer of sake since he’d driven.

          No sooner had they placed the order than the appetizers arrived, and Ed was always happiest when his stomach was full.  Roy and Al shared a purely indulgent look as they watch Ed predictably inhale his food rather than taste it.  Alphonse took longer with his own portion of the crab wontons, while Roy sipped his egg drop soup.  It was always entertaining watching Ed eat anything, but this was something he’d actively missed.  As a result, the food was inhaled with much more gusto and happy sounds than they’d seen at the townhouse.

          They’d begun to enjoy the entrée portions, which had just been set down in front of them when Alphonse stiffened noticeably while looking over Roy’s shoulder.

          Glancing in question at Alphonse, Roy turned slightly to see a man wearing the rank of Colonel staring at them.  Roy’s face thinned out before his ‘office presence’ came on and he was smiling genially in the stranger’s direction.

          “Is there something we can help you with?” Roy asked with his fake smile.

          The man blinked before looking at him.  “That’s the Fullmetal Alchemist, isn’t it?”

          Roy’s eyebrows raised a fraction as most people had always asked if Alphonse was the Fullmetal Alchemist, which would predictably send Edward into fits.  This man, however, had stared at Edward before asking his question.

          “Yes, that’s the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother.  Although Edward’s been out of the military for several years now.  And I’m General Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, but I don’t recall who you are…”

          Roy kept his attention on the man who’d started all this while slowly lowering his left hand to the pocket of his coat.  He seldom used his fire alchemy since he’d lost his eye, but he wasn’t taking the chance this man might hurt either of the Elric brothers.

          The man blinked as if in a daze.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but…where have you been?”  This was directed at Edward, who was beginning to glare at the man inconveniencing him from enjoying his food.  Alphonse’s hands were clenched as he observed both Roy and the stranger addressing his brother. 

          Roy cleared his throat to get the man’s attention back.  “The Elrics have just returned from researching Cretian alchemy.  Now, who, exactly are you?”

          The man turned to focus his attention solely on Roy, causing Alphonse to relax a bit and Edward to take smaller bites of his food.  He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed as he introduced himself.  “I’m sorry, it’s just, there are books about the Fullmetal Alchemist and I never expected to actually run into him.  My name is Colonel James Corbett, and I’m petitioning the military to begin research on chimeras again.”

          Ed’s attention was suddenly focused entirely on Corbett, and Roy was wearing his ignition glove.  This could go bad very quickly, and Alphonse wasn’t armor anymore.  He couldn’t just pick his brother up and carry him away from dangerous people.  He was also kicking himself for not having immediately made himself a pair of his own gloves because he’d never mastered the knack of clapping like Ed had.

          “Why the fuck would you want to do that,” Ed growled as Al frantically tried to think if the kitchen to this place might have a back exit he could drag his brother out of.

          “Chimera’s have always been illegal, the military isn’t going to change its stance on that now,” Roy drawled as he caught Al’s eye and jerked his head slightly in the direction of the kitchen.  If this went where they thought it might, they were going out through the kitchen, it seemed.

          “Oh, no, of course not,” Colonel Corbett stated with another glance at Roy.  “We’re putting together research to try to separate chimeras.”

          Just as suddenly as it had risen, the tension began to bleed out of the three seated men.  Ed now looked interested rather than angry, while Al just looked relieved.  Roy didn’t look like much of anything, which meant he’d be on the phone with Hawkeye as soon as they got home to see when this had become a thing.

          “It won’t be easy,” Ed drawled as he leaned down to sip his tea.  “Nobody’s been able to successfully separate a chimera.”

          “No, but we’ve got all the sewing life alchemist’s notes and Tucker himself was recovered two years ago.  He failed to bring his daughter back, but we’re hoping to eventually be able to help other chimeras.  The military has gathered a collection of them, you see.”

          Alphonse had gone strangely still.  “Tucker’s still alive?”

          Colonel Corbett glanced uneasily at him before saying, “Yes.  Although he won’t be much help as he’s completely obsessed with the idea of his daughter.  But you,” here he glanced back at Ed.  “You’re brilliant.  You might be able to help us come up with something.”

          Ed was already shaking his head.  “Sorry, pal, but there’s no way in hell I’m ever working for the military again.  The military wants to weaponize every damn thing it touches.  It’ll want to do that with those chimeras eventually, too.”

          Roy had been watching Al since he’d asked about Shou Tucker, but now he turned to smile blandly at Colonel Corbett.  “And I’m afraid I’ll be retiring soon, so I won’t be any help in that regard, either.  But I’ll be happy to have Alex Louis Armstrong give you a call.  The Strong-Arm Alchemist may be able to provide you with some other research materials.”

          Colonel Corbett mumbled his apologies and thanked Roy for the mention of the Strong-Arm Alchemist before taking his leave of them.  Al glanced over at Roy to see him making sure the other man left the restaurant before removing his ignition glove.

          Ed was glaring down at the remainder of his food.  Roy saw Al shiver just slightly, before Ed said softly, “Well fuck.  We can’t just fuck off to another location if they’re working on chimeras, Roy.”

          Roy let out a small sigh.  “Let’s take the rest of this home, shall we?  I have some phone calls to make as it appears you’re right.  We can’t just leave the area if there’s chimera research taking place nearby.”

          Ed looked over at Al, who was still sitting quietly, and frowned.  “Hey, are you alright?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

          Alphonse blinked and looked at Ed, then Roy.  “The last time I saw Shou Tucker was just before you left, Brother.  He brings back lots of memories, but none of them are good ones.”

          Ed swallowed and pulled Al into a hug.  “Yeah, I bet,” he muttered as their server whisked the food away to be boxed up.

          Roy watched Ed comfort his brother and realized all his well-laid plans may just wither away.  There was no way he’d be able to blast Ed out of this town if there were chimeras being experimented on.  _Just when I thought the emotional aspect of our relationships were the hardest thing we had to work on._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to do some note plotting to see how many chapters are likely to be left in this. It's kind of going in a direction I wasn't anticipating, but hey, I'm just happy to see it wanting to be written again. And yes, there will, eventually be more smut.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2018, have an unexpectedly easy to write chapter! This felt more like meta to me, but hey, it still counts. Not beta'd - all mistakes are mine.

 

 

          Upon arriving at the townhouse, Roy had immediately thrown his coat onto a chair in his office before dragging the telephone in with him.  He didn’t bother shutting the door as he anticipated Ed would just push the thing open if he wanted to know what was being said, and he didn’t keep his voice down. 

          Roy spent about forty-five minutes on the phone with Riza while Ed paced back and forth between Roy’s office and the living room.  At some point, Ed had stopped, glared at the living room, then began muttering about what was going to get moved.

          Al blinked out of the headspace he’d been in when he’d plonked himself onto the floor outside of Roy’s office and glanced over.  “What did you say, Brother?”

          “I said, that we’re gonna have to see how much of this shit we can move into either Roy’s office or your room,” Ed said as he made his way back to Roy’s office.

          Alphonse blinked again and frowned as he focused on his brother.  “Why would we need to move anything?”

          “Well we can’t start training in there with all that shit in the way,” Ed said as he gestured back toward the living room.  “And if the military is experimenting with chimeras, we’re gonna need to start training again.”

          Roy got off his phone call with Riza and momentarily rested his neck against the back of his chair.  He glanced down at the notebook he’d made notes on before calling out, “What are you two talking about?”

          Al cleared his throat and called back, “Brother wants to clear out the living room, so we can begin hand to hand training again.”

          Roy let out a great sigh.  “Will you both come in here, please?”

          Al stood up as Ed stalked past him into the office.  Roy looked resigned, but not necessarily opposed to the idea.  Al followed behind and wondered if this was what passed for normal for them.  He really hadn’t been around them much when they were together while he was armor.

          Roy glanced at Al as he walked past to sit on the other chair while Ed went to lean against available wall space.  Al tried to keep his face as expressionless as possible but apparently failed because Roy looked even more intently in his direction.

          “We can talk about moving things around in a bit.  I’m not opposed to the idea, but I still need to call Sheska over at Intelligence to get supplies to make the townhouse soundproof.  And if you’re serious about combat training, we’ll need some mats for the floor.  Falling bodies will be heard from outside the townhouse if the flooring isn’t muffled.  Alphonse, are you feeling well?  You’ve been unnaturally quiet since our uninvited dinner guest.”

          Al gulped as Ed’s gaze swung unerringly to his face.  “I don’t know how I feel.  Mr. Tucker is still alive and…that man mentioned him and chimeras and that’s the worst combination in the world.  He’s power mad and won’t stop trying to bring Nina back.  I just don’t know how much help I’m going to be,” he finished quietly.

          Ed made to move toward Al, but Roy moved his head fractionally as he kept his gaze on Al.  Roy’s face was concerned, but Al knew he was a master tactician as well.  Al frantically tried to pull himself together but felt as if he were frayed.

          “You haven’t told me what happened the last time you saw Shou Tucker, but you’re just as formidable a fighter as Edward.  Why would you think you wouldn’t be any help, Alphonse?” Roy asked gently. 

          Ed forced himself to relax as Roy spoke quietly to Al.  He knew Al hated the way Tucker had manipulated him, but Roy wouldn’t know what had happened.  And he knew that Roy could talk to Al about things that Ed just tried to protect him from, so Ed kept his silence.

          Al looked up at the ceiling and did his best to stare a hole through it.  He glanced over to the armored head he had inhabited for years and smiled grimly.  “Brother didn’t tell you?  I **was** a philosopher’s stone the last time I ran into Shou Tucker.  And he convinced me to use some of that power to bring Nina back.  But it didn’t work, it just took power from the stone.  And I was stupid enough to believe him.  At least now I’m only human so he can’t use me to hurt anything else, but I feel so **stupid** for believing him.  I’m not armor anymore, so I won’t be as much use in a fight as I used to be.  And I don’t even have my gloves, so I can’t do alchemy fast enough to matter,” he finished softly.

          Roy’s expression became very bland as he mentally worked through this.  Ed had since told him how Al had been a philosopher’s stone, and how that had led to getting Al’s body back while Ed was thrown to the other side of the Gate.  However, he hadn’t realized how deep Al’s guilt over this ran.

          Chancing a brief look at Ed, who was now clenching his fists and fighting his instinctive urge to go to his brother, Roy met Al’s angry gaze.  “Alphonse, there was no way you could have known using a bit of the stone would have made it weaker.  Nina Tucker meant a great deal to you, and I think you’re the only one in the room who blames you for trying to bring her back.”

          Al blinked then looked down at the floor.  “It doesn’t matter anymore.  I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing like that happens again.”  He took in a breath before glancing at Roy, then Ed.  “I can’t do alchemy the way Brother does, so I need to get some gloves.  My alchemy is unique since I can attach my soul to things for a while, but I need to stitch my circle onto a few pairs to be of any use.”

          Roy nodded and made another note in his notebook.  “I’ll make sure and pick some up for you tomorrow.  How do you feel about the hand to hand training?”

          Al looked over at Ed, who looked a bit more relaxed, before saying, “It’s a good idea.  We’re both out of practice and you could probably use some training yourself, Roy.”

          Ed smiled toothily at Roy.  “Bastard always did rely too much on his fire alchemy when it comes to fighting.”

          Roy looked mildly back at Ed before nodding.  “As much as I hate to admit it, the two of you have always been better at fighting than I am.  If you can teach me without breaking me, it would be very helpful.”

          Ed laughed before pushing off the wall.  “What can’t we move in here?  We can start moving shit while you’re on the phone with Sheska and get the rest of it done tomorrow.”

          Roy glanced around his office before standing to make his way into the living room.  “We have to leave enough furniture in here that we can make it look like I receive guests occasionally.  But you can move the bookshelf and chairs into my office.  The loveseat can go into Alphonse’s room, if he approves, of course.”

          Alphonse had been observing from the hallway and simply nodded as the others glanced his way.  It made the most sense and he didn’t mind having additional seating in the room he kept his things in.

          Roy made his way back to his office, noting how Alphonse was still acting a bit off on the way.  Edward began lifting books off the bookcase that was going to get moved, and Al moved to help him.  He shoulder bumped his brother to get a grin from Ed, but Roy noted he seemed to be doing it for solely that purpose.

          _Yet something else to wonder about.  Alphonse was the better fighter when he was armor, but I don’t know which of the two is better now.  Will all this make him pull further away or bring us closer together?_

          Shaking his head, Roy went back into his office to make the phone call to Sheska.  There was only so much he could do in one evening.

~*~

          A couple of hours later had them all stumbling upstairs.  Ed stopped in the doorway of the bedroom to make a face at himself.  “Right, we all need to get clean.  We didn’t change the sheets on the bed earlier just to get them all gross again.  I’ll be in the shower if either of you needs me.”

          Al opened his mouth to ask something, then promptly shut it as Ed pulled all his dirty clothes off and stalked across the hallway to the bathroom naked.  Slightly shocked, he turned to ask Roy if that was normal, only to find Roy shaking his head ruefully.

          “Only Edward,” the General muttered with a slight smile.  He spied Al’s confused expression and shot a grin in his direction.  “If you want any hot water you might want to make your way in there expeditiously.  When he’s in this mood he’ll stay in there and use up all the hot water.”

          Al felt as if he’d stepped into a different plane of existence.  “Brother’s never acted like this before,” he said softly.

          Roy sighed before shrugging softly.  “He’s angry and scared, Alphonse.  And when your brother feels that way he acts as if he doesn’t care about anything.  The problem, in his mind, is he now has two people he loves and wants to protect more than his own life and he doesn’t know if he can.  So, he puts on this front and just pushes his way through until it’s finished.”

          Alphonse swallowed and glanced over at the bedroom door.  “Is this what he was like before?”

          “More times than I’d like to admit, yes.  Edward has always been one to shoulder more responsibility than any other person would.  It’s a family trait, it seems,” Roy added with a gentle smile.  He nodded again toward the bathroom.  “Go ahead, I promise he won’t bite.  But he will use up all the hot water.”

          Al nibbled his lower lip, then quickly turned to get his pajamas and went into the bathroom before he could change his mind.  After placing his clothes on the counter, he began to take his clothes off.  Steam was billowing from the top of the shower curtain and Ed showed no signs of finishing anytime soon.

          Walking over to the tub, Al called out, “Brother?  Is it okay if I get in?”

          Ed pulled the shower curtain aside just enough to blink at him.  “Didn’t think you’d want in here with me, but yeah, sure.”

          Al swallowed.  “Roy said if I didn’t get in here you’d use up all the hot water.”

          Ed made a face before pulling the shower curtain back more.  “Yeah, well, he’d know.  C’mon if you’re coming.”

          Al hesitantly climbed into the tub and Ed pulled the shower curtain closed.  Ed moved so Al could get into the water, but didn’t so much as try to touch him.  He seemed content to lean against the wall and be warmed by the steam as he kept his eyes closed and his arms down.

          Al quickly washed, then glanced over at his brother.  “Have you washed your hair?” he asked quietly.

          Ed shook his head no without opening his eyes.  Al looked at the visual line of tension clearly showing in his brother’s very unhappy body and made a decision.  “Would you let me wash it for you?”

          Ed blinked and looked over at Al.  Clearly, he’d expected nothing more than for Al to wash and get out, but he swallowed and nodded his head.  Turning his back to Al, Ed waited.

          Al gathered enough shampoo in his hands to wash all of his brother’s long hair, then began gently working his hands through it.  He heard the bathroom door open, then Roy called out quietly, “Please tell me that you’re both still alive in there.”

          Ed’s breath rushed out in an annoyed hiss, but Al laughed a bit.  “I’m washing Brother’s hair, then I’ll be done.  We can switch if you like.”

          There was a rustle from further in the bathroom.  “There are towels on the toilet when you’re done.  I’ll wait in the hallway for you to finish, Alphonse.”

          Roy let himself out just as quietly as he’d come into the bathroom.  Al finished washing Ed’s hair, then leaned forward to give his brother a hug.  “I don’t know what’s going to happen, Brother.  But nobody’s ever been able to beat us when we’re working together.  And we have Roy with us now, so try to stop worrying if you can.”

          Slipping out of the tub, Al grabbed a towel and dried off enough to quickly get his pajamas on.  He smiled a bit at Roy as he passed him in the hallway.  “Thanks for the towels, I completely forgot.”

          Roy smiled back.  “It wouldn’t do for either of you to get sick, and I know Edward doesn’t think of these things when he’s upset.  We’ll be out soon,” he added as he entered the bathroom.

          Al swallowed after Roy had closed the bathroom door behind him.  That had been eerily normal considering he hadn’t seen his brother naked since they’d gotten back, and Roy had never had to deal with this particular situation.  It made him re-evaluate the conversations he’d had with Roy. 

          Shaking his head, Al went to grab a book to read until they were out of the shower and ready for bed.

~*~

          Climbing into the shower with Ed, Roy cautiously pulled his lover into a hug.  “Well that went better than I expected it to,” he murmured against Ed’s hair.

          “I can’t believe you got Al to get into the shower with me,” Ed muttered while hugging him back.  “He’s been so fucking weird about everything and then he just climbs in here like it’s no big deal.”

          “Well, that’s simple.  Alphonse has a great appreciation for hot water, and I explained to him that you were going to use all of it,” Roy smiled against Ed’s head.  “I didn’t even have to lie.”

          Pulling away slightly, Roy lifted Ed’s chin, so he could meet the younger man’s gaze.  “I think the sudden change in our circumstances may change things for the three of us in ways we couldn’t have expected.”

          Ed nodded unhappily as Roy began to quickly wash.  As soon as he was finished, he pulled Ed back into his arms.  “I don’t know what’s going to happen to us, love.  But I promise you I will do everything I can to protect and love you both.”

          “How the fuck did we get so lucky to have you in our lives?” Ed asked softly.

          Roy smirked before pressing a chaste kiss into the side of Ed’s neck.  “Well, that’s easy.  Several years ago, I was a hotshot officer looking to make rank and find the best alchemist in the country.  Following your father’s trail led me to the best things that have ever happened to me, and I’ll be damned if the military is going to fuck this up for us.”

          Ed pulled away and gave him a slightly shocked look.  “I know it’s serious when you start sounding like me.  We really mean that much to you?”

          Roy pushed his hair out of his face before gazing seriously at the younger man.  “Do you have any idea how lost I was when you were gone, and Alphonse had no memory of me?  What did you think drove me to give up my commission and take up an outpost in the North?”

          Ed took in a breath of warm, steamy air before slowly pushing it out.  “Okay then.  We do this together, the three of us.  And we’ll deal with shit as it happens.”

          The water was beginning to become tepid as Roy turned the taps off.  He grabbed towels for the both of them, then proceeded to dry Edward off.  “You and Alphonse are my family, and you know how protective I am of those I love,” he murmured as he finished toweling off Ed’s hair.  “Now get dressed, love.  I’ll be in momentarily.”

          Ed made his way out of the bathroom as Roy began drying himself off.  Once Ed was out of the room, Roy allowed himself to slump a bit in relief.  The entire shower scenario had been a calculated guess on his part, but it had worked.  And it had helped the Elrics, which was a bonus he’d be grateful for in the morning when he was less emotionally raw. 

          Taking his time to finish drying off and get into his own nightclothes, Roy was silently relieved to find none of tonight’s events had made him feel uncomfortable.  While he was able to admit to himself that he did find both brothers attractive, Roy would never push Alphonse into anything he felt uncomfortable with.  After tonight, he was beginning to feel hopeful they’d find a natural rhythm that suited all three of them sooner rather than later.

 

 

Kudos and comments help get this written, and if you really like it, you can buy me a [cuppa](https://www.ko-fi.com/wintersblight)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Here's hoping my Muse decides not to be a bitch this year so I can get some writing done.

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't send me comments asking when I'm going to update. I will update if and when I have the time as I'm raising 3 kiddos and have multiple WIPs in different fandoms. Any kudos or other comments are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


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